Mortal Gate
by Neptunesdemon
Summary: Not sure how to summerize this. A young man's experience with the Undead leads him to find out that he's worth more than immortal sustenance. My first vamp ficcie! Yaoi, kind of gory, OOcness. Please read, I hope you like it.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Gundam Wing characters. I only own those poor victims that serve as sustenance for the vamps in this fic.

Warning: This fic will contain yaoi and huge amounts of OOCness. So if you no like then no read. Capiche? Good.

Author's Note: I can't give you any definite details right now. I just wanted to try and see if I can do a vamp fic with some sort of plot. Haven't figured out the plot yet, but we'll see. Italics in quotation mean that it's someone talking on the other line of the phone. That is all. Go read.

xoxoxoxox

Chang Wufei looked down at his wristwatch as he walked down Queens Boulevard to the nearest subway entrance. He had been working late tonight, thanks to the sudden new shipment of tea leaves that had been delivered at the last minute. He would have left the boxes there and enter them into to stock tomorrow, but his uncle insisted that it be done tonight. He also insisted that Wufei come in early to open the shop, since his uncle claimed to be having sudden bouts of dizziness. Wufei could only roll his eyes as he continued to walk down the street. His uncle was famous for having sudden sicknesses when he was actually more fit than most eighty three year old men.

At the sudden sight of a snow flake Wufei sighed, pulling his jacket tighter around him. He hated the winter season. He found that he wasn't made for the cold. However, he did have to admit, it was a nice view from his apartment when the city was covered in snow. Though, he also found that he could just as easily move to a Caribbean island, or a warmer state. As he reached the stairs to the subway, his phone happened to ring and he stopped to pull it free from his coat pocket.

"Hello?"

"_Wufei, did you leave the store yet?"_

"Yes, uncle." Wufei said with a sigh. "Don't worry. I entered the shipment into the stock books, I emptied the cash register, put the money in the safe, stocked the shelves, set the alarms and I locked the door behind me."

"_Thank you very much, Wufei._" His uncle said over the phone. "_I'm happy you chose to open the store tomorrow. I would do it, but it's just that these old bones are acting up again. I may not even show up until the afternoon."_

Wufei groaned, raising his hand to massage his temple. His uncle couldn't even keep his stories straight. First, he was experiencing dizziness and now it was arthritis.

"Uncle, I have to go, I'm about to go into the subway."

"_Okay, okay, have a safe trip home._"

"Thank you, uncle. Good night."

Hanging up the phone, Wufei felt himself become suddenly weary. Tomorrow would not be his day. He would be in that shop all day again. He knew his uncle had said he'd be there in the afternoon, but he was pretty sure that meant the man would show up when it was five minutes to closing. Just as he always did. Deciding he didn't want to think about it anymore, Wufei started his way into the subway. He needed to get home as soon as possible if he even wanted some sleep tonight. That meant skipping both dinner and reading a chapter of his book. Though he could do without it, it wouldn't be the first time he had to skip them.

As he entered the subway, he reached into his pocket to pull out his Metrocard, heading over to the machines to check his balance. He was pretty sure that he had enough to get him home, but he still had to refill it in order to get to work and back tomorrow. He was unaware of the three men that stood behind the toll booth, their eyes watching him as he busied himself. The tallest of the three watched intently as Wufei continued to go on with his business, nearly oblivious to his surroundings. He gave a smile, his head nodding in the Chinese boy's direction. His two buddies smiled as well, knowing just exactly what their friend had in mind. With a quick glance around to make sure the coast was clear, the three started towards him.

Wufei, now finished with refilling his Metrocard, turned around to head towards the turnstiles. He was stopped however, jumping in surprise as he came face to face with a man. He was pushed back against the machine, now trapped between it and the man that leaned forward, his arms on either side of Wufei.

"Can I help you?" Wufei asked in a small voice, noticing the other two beside him.

The three of them chuckled simultaneously, the one hovering over Wufei taking to leaning on one arm, as the other hand reached into his pocket.

"Yeah, I was hoping you can help us out." He started, his green eyes boring into Wufei's. "You see my buddies and I are a little short on cash and we were wondering if you'd be willing to lend us a few dollars."

"I don't have any money."

The guy sighed, pulling out a switchblade knife, the metal gleaming in the light of the subway station. Wufei silently gasped, his eyes widening as the man toyed with it dangerously close to his neck.

"You see, we'd really like it if you'd cooperate." The man pointed out. "Otherwise my friends and I would have to find ways of convincing you."

"I don't have any money." Wufei said again. "Honestly, I just put the last of it on a Metrocard."

With a click of his tongue, the guy stood up straight, moving so that he was standing beside Wufei with an arm around the young man's shoulder.

"Aw, you see that's too bad." He said in a low voice, his buddies giggling beside them. "That means we'll just have to take whatever you can give."

As the grip on him tightened, Wufei tried his best to slowly slip free, but the arm around his shoulder went to being wrapped around his waist.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're kind of pretty for a boy?"

"No wait." Wufei begged, pulling away. "Look, I don't want trouble."

"Neither do we." One of the buddies told him, now behind him. "If you keep quiet like a good little boy, you won't have any."

"No, please just let me go." Wufei pleaded, finding himself now caught between them.

They circled in on him, each giving him a smile that sent goose bumps rising across his skin. This was not how he had expected this night to go. His eyes watched as the leader reached out for him, his hand automatically slapping it away. That little feat caused him to get his hands pulled behind his back and he didn't hesitate to try and fight himself free. Two pair of hands was now working on his jacket, one unfastening it while the other checked its pockets. His cell was found and he heard the last of the three giggle with glee, watching as the man pocketed it. His jacket was now open and he gave a short prayer as a plan came into his head. With the smallest of the three occupied with his phone; that left the ogre behind him and the leader of the group.

As said leader moved closer, his knee raised connecting with the man's groin so that he doubled over. Wufei then flung his head back, feeling it connect painfully with the larger man's nose. He was released and he took his opportunity to run. He easily pushed his way past the guy with his phone, heading for the turnstiles and crawling under them.

"Get him!"

The shouted words, urged him to move faster and he scrambled up from the floor once he cleared the turnstiles. His feet urged him to the stairs that headed to the train platforms. He quickly ran down them, silently begging a train to pull into the station at this moment. As he ran free of the stairs and further down the platform, he cried out as he was grabbed from behind.

"Let me go!" He cried, his body writhing so that he could be set free.

He only heard laughter as his mouth was covered, the three men dragging him off to the benches. He struggled harder as he was pushed down on his knees, hands bending him forward until his chest was against the bench's seat. His arms were pulled tightly behind his back and the very cold metal of a blade was pressed against his neck. His muffled cries stopped and his struggling waned. He was hit by the sudden realization that escape was inevitable and he was most likely going to be killed and left here for the morning rush to find him.

"That's right." The leader murmured as Wufei stilled. "Just keep still like a good little boy. We'll be quick."

"Let him go." A voice rang out from behind them.

The three thugs turned to face this new comer, a young man dressed entirely in black. His hair was unusually long, the chestnut locks held neatly in a braid. His eyes were shielded by sunglasses, which were unnecessary for the night. He walked closer, a hand decorated in fingerless gloves and black nail polish removing the frames from where they perched on his nose, revealing violet eyes. The three men stood to face him, their shoulders squaring in a form of a challenge. Wufei watched as the tension grew with wide-eyed silence. He had no idea what could happen now. This guy had happened to come across his little scenario and had decided to help. The only thing that Wufei was worried about was that the man wouldn't be able to defend himself. There were three of these assholes after all and only one of him.

"You got a problem, buddy?" The leader asked, his green eyes glaring. "What you see here don't concern you. So, why don't you take you're tough guy persona and get out of here?"

The braided man gave a chuckle, his glasses being folded away into the inside lining of his black overcoat. His eyes then looked to Wufei, who only stiffened under the gaze.

"Is he serious?" He asked the boy with a laugh.

Wufei could only shrug, not exactly sure if he could or even should answer the question. The man looked back to the three guys in front of him, shrugging his shoulders as well, a hand rising to beckon them.

"I can take you." He said with confidence, the three men snarling.

They looked back and forth between the three of them, each trying to figure out whether this guy was joking. The braided man only sighed in annoyance, stepping forward and grabbing the smallest of the three.

"You, shorty; come on and hit me."

Said shorty looked back to his boss with black beady eyes.

"Should I hit him, Joe?" He asked, the man nodding to him.

"Give it to him, Ricky."

"Yeah, come on, Ricky." The man taunted with a grin. "Why don't you give it to me?"

With a shrug he turned back to the man, his hands rising into fists as the braided man continued to taunt him. With a grunt he swung for the man's face, watching as his punch was easily avoided. What happened next he hadn't expected. A very heavy fist had connected with his stomach and it made him double over in pain. He barely had time to catch a hold of his senses; he only felt the sudden blow to his chest, hearing the unmistakable cracking of bone. He groaned as his lung was punctured, his black eyes looking up to find a smiling face.

"Sleep tight, Ricky."

At those words the man fell to the ground, black eyes looking up blankly at Wufei who cried out in shock as he frantically backed away. The two that were left watched wide-eyed at the body of their fallen comrade, before the larger of the two gave a loud roar, his body dragging towards the black-clad man. He only gave a smile, white teeth gleaming in the fluorescent lights as the ogre now stood in front of him.

"You want a piece of me, too?" He asked, his eyes looking up at the large shaved head.

As a large, meaty fist rose above his head the man sighed, his head shaking. He caught the large fist before it could come crashing down on his skull, the obese gangster in front of him giving a noise of surprise. As violet eyes glared up at his attacker, his grip tightened on the man's hand, the loud cracking sound echoing in the empty subway. The man gave a scream of pain as his friend objected loudly, though did nothing to help him.

"What are you doing?" The green-eyed man asked, watching his buddy cry out in pain. "Ed, fight back! Knock his lights out!"

Gritting his teeth, Ed tried to take his friend's advice, curling his free hand to strike out at his silent offender. But he instead got his already captured arm, twisted far enough that it broke, causing him to scream out again. His brown eyes looked up to the man's face, who gave a small chuckle before his foot rose to kick the man square in his chest. Wufei gasped as Ed went flying, the large man landing onto the electrified tracks. He turned away as the large body began to twitch, the loud electric popping and crackling covering the screams until they died away. He then turned black eyes up to his rescuer, who was now staring at the last remaining gangster with a malicious gleam and an amused smirk.

Said thug stood still in complete shock and fear, his right hand holding out the knife as it trembled. He watched the man step forward and he backed away, his left hand reaching for his back pocket. He pulled out a gun, pointing both it and the knife in the stranger's direction.

"Stay back!" He yelled, pointing the gun with each word. "Stay back or I swear I'll shoot!"

The words were ignored, the stranger stepping forward to close the distance between himself and Joe.

"I highly doubt that you'll be that stu-"

His words were cut off as the gun went off, the bullet hitting him in the middle of his chest. He was aware of Wufei's cry and he looked to the boy before he looked down to his now bleeding chest.

"Or maybe you are that stupid." He muttered, letting his fingers feel at the hole in his shirt.

He raised his head to look at the now smiling Joe, before he straightened himself to glare as the man started laughing. His hands rose to the hole in his shirt, tearing it so that it revealed where the bullet pierced his chest. Joe's laughter died as the bullet clattered to the tiled floor, the man kicking it to the side. He then watched as the small hole began to quickly close, healing until it was as if he had never shot the man at all. His eyes then rose to the man's face, meeting violet eyes that grew fiercer.

"What the fuck are you?" He asked, the weapons clattering to the floor.

He slowly backed away, his eyes never leaving those that drew closer, unaware that he was headed for the edge of the platform.

"I'm your worst nightmare." The man informed him through clenched teeth.

Wufei, who had been watching intently in silence, didn't know when his rescuer had crossed to the other side of the platform. He only heard Joe began to scream before it was cut short, his eyes widening as the darkly dressed man was burying his teeth into the thug's neck. This could not be happening; at least if it was happening then it had to be some sort of dream. There was the unmistakable sound of an approaching train and the stranger pulled away from the now very dead body of Wufei's attacker. As the train pulled into the station he let the body go, watching as it was dragged under the train, joining the large and now mutilated body of his partner Ed.

As the train stopped, Wufei forced himself to stand on shaky legs, the man turning to face him. In the blink of an eye he was in front of him, helping Wufei to stand up straight as the boy nearly toppled over.

Wufei couldn't speak, he couldn't even think. He could only stare wide-eyed at his savior and follow obediently as he was pulled toward the opening doors of the F-train.

"Is this your train?" The man asked him, replacing his sunglasses.

Wufei could only nod dumbly, before his eyes looked down at the man's exposed chest.

"I'm fine." The man assured him, gently pushing him onto the train. "I'll live."

As the man began to laugh at what seemed to be a private joke, Wufei slowly shook his head, his body slightly trembling from the excitement.

"What are you?" He asked in a low voice, the man giving him a smile.

It was a smile that sent a chill over Wufei's body and it was followed by a sultry laugh that ran a shiver down his spine. Along with a very strong heat to Wufei's cheeks and groin.

"I have the feeling that if I tell you, you wouldn't believe me." The man began as the bell signaled the closing of the doors. "Let's just say that I'm a passerby that lend you a hand."

The doors slid closed and Wufei continued to stare at the man, who slightly lowered his glasses to give the boy a wink. With that he was gone and Wufei was searching the platform past the train's windows as it began to pull off. As the train was pulled into the tunnel, Wufei slowly made his way to a seat, his eyes staring off into space as his mind ran over what had just happened. Three men were just killed in front of him and the last of the three had died by what method? His savior had sunk his teeth into his neck and…

"Oh my gods, I'm going crazy." Wufei said with a shake of his head. "I can't believe I'm actually contemplating this. They don't exist."

Though he couldn't help but wonder if he had truly encountered one tonight. He shook his head again to clear the thoughts from it but he found he couldn't stop himself from thinking about it. There was only one question that ran through his mind the entire trip home. Was there really a vampire in New York City?

T.B.C.

I have no idea where this is going, but if you think I can go somewhere with this tell me so. I'll try my best.


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Read and enjoy.

xoxoxox

Black eyes slowly opened at the sound of the telephone. With a groan he reached out an arm, lifting the phone off the hook and bringing it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Wufei? You're home?_"

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

"_I thought you would be at the shop today. But it seems that we didn't open at all._"

"What?"

Looking at the alarm clock that sat on the side table, Wufei's eyes widened as he swore in Mandarin. It was six in the evening. He had slept the entire day through; which meant the shop hadn't been opened at all today. Sitting up in his bed, Wufei groaned, apologizing to his uncle as he searched around the bed for his cell phone.

"_It's alright, Wufei._" His uncle assured him. "_I was only concerned about you. You didn't call to say you weren't coming in. Are you alright?_"

"I guess." Wufei said, still searching for his phone. "I guess I just had a rough night. I'm really sorry to have worried you."

"_Nonsense. What kind of nephew would you be if you didn't make me worry?_"

Smiling at the words Wufei turned to his window. It was already growing dark, being that it was winter. He also noticed that it had snowed throughout the entire day and that the ground was now covered in a good foot of it.

"Look, I'll come in still if you need me to." He suggested, his uncle protesting.

"_Nonsense. You take all the rest you need. I'll see you when you're ready to come in._"

"Thank you, uncle. I'll call you back tomorrow."

Hanging up the phone he replaced it on its base, a hand running through his loose ebony locks. His phone had seemed to have gone missing and he couldn't quite remember where he had put it. As he looked back to the window, it came to him. Last night it was taken from him. The memory of what could have happened to him made goose bumps rise on his skin. Lucky for him, he had been saved by that guy. Whoever he was; _whatever_ he was. He scoffed at himself, finding the notion that this man was a supernatural being outrageous. He had just been seeing things last night. That guy was just as he told him, a passerby who decided to lend a hand.

"Just a helping hand." Wufei told himself, gathering both a towel and new pair of underwear.

He left his bedroom, heading for the bathroom. There he showered and pondered on last night's events. He was pretty sure that what he had witnessed wasn't a dream at all. However, to actually believe that the guy that helped him out was anything but human was preposterous.

"Vampires don't exist!" Wufei snapped, shutting off the water.

He climbed out of the shower to dry off and dress himself in his boxers. He had to make a quick trip back to his bedroom after brushing his teeth, since he had forgotten a shirt. Once that was pulled on, along with some pajama pants, he was off to the kitchen. Before he reached, he made a short detour to his living room where he turned on the small television. The news was on. No surprise there, since it was in the six o' clock hour. He found that coffee would be helpful, since he still felt a bit drowsy even after over eight hours of sleep.

As he busied himself about his small kitchen with the task of making coffee, he made sure to listen in on whatever it was the news had to tell tonight. He froze in the middle of reaching for the instant coffee, the anchorwoman's headline for the night's top story echoing through the suddenly silent apartment.

"Three men were found dead in a Queens subway station." The woman announced, immediately going into detail. "Last night the body of three men were found dead at the Van Wyck Boulevard station in Jamaica, Queens. The bodies of Joseph Fatone, Edward Harrington and Ricardo Munez, all three wanted criminals, were found by subway officials at 12:15 last night. Police say that the men were victims of a vicious attack. We'll run a previous recording of John Rither who was on the scene last night with Detective Zechs Marquise."

As the voice a John Rither began to describe the manner in which the bodies had been found, Wufei had found himself lost deep in thought. He was so far into it that he had forgotten about his coffee. He was reminded by the shriek that his kettle gave off and he rushed back to work, searching the cupboards frantically for a cup. As one was found, he turned off the stove, the whistling dying and allowing the news brief to be heard once again. Now he could hear the voice of the detective, though he had nothing new to tell him. The man was merely repeating everything that the reporter and anchorwoman had already said. He continued to do as he had started, quickly spooning in a spoonful of instant coffee and rushing to pour in the steaming water. In his haste he forgot the sugar, grimacing when he took a sip of it. With a quick trip to the sugar bowl, he added a few spoonfuls before leaving the kitchenette. He had forgotten milk but he could do without it.

He made it to his couch, sitting in front of the television which was quickly spanning over the crime scene. He caught sight of the outline that marked where Ricky's body had been lying and the coffee that he had decided to sip at the moment had trouble going down. He wanted to turn away and he would have, if the camera hadn't decided to draw his attention with a gorgeous face. Blue eyes stared back into the camera and Wufei couldn't help but stare as well, drawn to those blue depths.

Detective Marquise, as the marker provided, was a man that was made for the camera. As he flashed the reporter a smile, Wufei couldn't help but melt. Being only eighteen, Wufei was _always_ thinking of the wonderful three letter word called sex. He had been this way since puberty, though he had been able to control himself. However, his particular liking for men and the beautiful beyond words detective only pushed him. It didn't help that the blond man was as sexy as they came. The woes of a horny teenager.

As the detective continued to answer questions in the fashion of all cops, answer to satisfy yet reveal nothing, Wufei took to finishing his coffee and leaning back on the couch to relax.

"Was there anything that was found in the form of evidence that you're willing to provide us with?" The reporter asked, causing the detective to pin on an annoyed smile.

"Although my men and I are obligated not to reveal such information to the press at this time, I can safely answer that question. What we found on one of the bodies was a cellular phone that we can confirm did not belong to the victim. Whether or not the owner of said phone is involved, we can't be certain of."

Wufei was unaware that he had dropped his mug onto the table top, causing it to shatter and spray both coffee and glass across the table top. His phone had been found at the crime scene, meaning that sooner or later he would become a suspect. The only suspect to be precise.

"Shit." He swore under his breath, his teeth now biting at his nails.

He stood from where he sat, finding himself on the verge of panicking but forcing himself to breathe and stay calm. He knew that he was innocent; however he would have to convince the cops into learning that as well. That would be difficult he found, only because at the moment he was the only suspect and it would probably stay that way. He had to grab a hold of himself; it wasn't like they knew that he owned the phone. They only knew that it didn't belong to the victim. However, it also wasn't long until they found out that the phone was his. When that happened, he would have to explain things to them; tell them the truth.

"Right." Wufei said aloud, running a hand through his damp hair. "I can just explain to them that I was attacked and then I was given help by a man who might not even be a man at all."

He started to pace as the cameras returned to the newsroom, a story of political matter now becoming the highlight of the evening.

"Get a grip, Wufei." The boy scolded himself. "They're cops, not idiots. They'll either think you're crazy or a really bad liar. Besides, vampires don't exist!"

He was startled by the sudden sound of his phone and he had to stop for a moment to get his heart to calm itself. With a deep breath he headed off to his bedroom, where he lifted the phone of the hook, answering in a low and somewhat shaky voice.

"Hello?"

"_Hello. I'm sorry to be calling at this hour, but I was hoping that I could speak with a Wufei Chang?_"

"This is him." Wufei responded, his voice returning to normal. "May I ask who's speaking?"

"_This is Detective Zechs Marquise._"

Wufei stiffened at the name and found himself suddenly speechless.

"_You see, last night your phone was found on a victim of a murder at the Van Wyck Boulevard subway station and I was wondering if I would be able to ask you a few questions in person._"

His grip on the phone had become tight as his breathing was speeding up. It was almost as if it wanted to match his now pounding heart. His body had begun to tremble as a cold sweat broke out over his skin. They had found his phone, found his number and now wanted him to come in for questioning.

"_Mr. Chang, are you still there?_"

At the sound of the detective's voice, Wufei tried his best to pull himself together.

"Huh?"

"_Mr. Chang, are you alright?_"

He nodded but quickly remembered that they were communicating via telephone.

"I'm fine." He finally answered, trying to shake off his panic. "Now what were you saying?"

"_I was asking if you'd be able to come down to the precinct for questioning._"

"Tonight?"

"_No, tomorrow afternoon if possible._"

"I, uh, I'm not sure. I can see if I can get off of work early."

"_No need to._" The detective said. "_I'm in my office until I feel the need to go home, so I'm pretty sure you can make it. Or if you want, we can reschedule it for a later date._"

"No tomorrow's fine." Wufei assured him, seating himself on his bed. "I'll head down there as soon as I get off of work."

"_Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow evening._"

"Yes. Goodbye."

"_Goodbye. It was a pleasure speaking with you._"

As the detective hung up, Wufei followed suit, his eyes staring off into nothing. His predictions were ever so slowly coming true and soon enough he felt he'd be in big trouble. He knew that he was innocent but he doubted that the real perp would turn himself in. He lay back onto his bed, his hands taking a hold of his head as he tried his best to calm himself down. He needed a drink and he needed one now. However, he was under aged since the drinking age was twenty one. That meant he wasn't able to get any on his own. Lucky for him, he had connections and acquaintances that could get him what he wanted with no hassle.

Sitting up he grabbed hold of the phone, dialing in a well-known number and waiting for an answer on the other end. As he was greeted by the soft toned hello, Wufei smiled, giving a sigh of relief.

"Hello, Quatre?" He asked, standing to slowly pace again. "It's Wufei. Unlock your liquor cabinet. I have a lot to talk about."

xoxoxox

Zechs Marquise sat quietly in contemplation after he hung up, ending his conversation with Wufei. The young man, he could only guess, had seemed to be very nervous when he had answered. Almost as if he had been waiting for the phone call and had dreaded it for hours. The manner in which he fell silent at the mention of his phone was also odd in Zechs' opinion. He didn't like to jump to conclusions, but he couldn't help but wonder what Mr. Chang was hiding.

He leaned back into his chair, his hands folding atop his lap. He would have to make sure and ask the right questions. If Mr. Chang was indeed involved with the murders, he would most likely be lying throughout the questioning. He would have to trap him.

What Zechs couldn't understand was how in the world he had managed to kill three men in cold blood? He shivered at the thought, not really wanting to play images of possibilities in his head. He was disturbed already at the sight of the two crushed bodies that were found on the train tracks. In all of his five years as a cop and six years as a detective, he found he would never get used to the sight of the dead. It was too haunting and those that were found much like the two that were found last night, it made his stomach lurch and his skin crawl. The door to his office was knocked on and he was glad for the distraction.

"Come in."

A rookie, a young woman who had been assigned to the front desk, entered the room shyly. She gave the blond detective a smile and he flashed her one in return, watching as she blushed. He was aware that she was one of the many women on the force that had an attraction to him. There were also a few men. He however, at the age of thirty two, was still not interested in much. There weren't many who caught his eye and if they did, he quickly lost interest. This young girl, as pretty as she was with her green eyes, brown locks and very tempting body was another that he had to gently turn down. Though it wasn't to say that he wouldn't flirt, it was his expertise.

"Detective Marquise." She greeted. "How are you tonight?"

"A little lonely." Zechs responded, catching her eyes with his. "Nothing that a little company won't fix."

"You know when I'm free detective. You need only ask me and I'll entertain you."

He gave a low sensual laugh and he felt his ego grow as he saw the woman shudder at the sound.

"Something you needed me for, Melissa?" He asked her, getting back to the subject at hand.

"Yeah." She muttered, regaining control of herself. "Uh, the forensics officer is outside waiting for you. You want me to let her in?"

Zechs nodded, making sure to sit up in his chair. He waved a hand motioning for Melissa to bring her in.

"Bring her in. I need to hear what she has for me."

With a nod, Melissa left, leaving Zechs to watch her cute ass leave the room. He wasn't ready for relations, but he liked to look. There was no harm in looking. As the door closed behind her, he leaned against his desk to wait for his well-known friend. It wouldn't be a surprise if she wasn't in a good mood and he doubted that she would be. At the crime scene there wasn't much to go on in finger prints and he was sure that even she hadn't been able to find much.

"He's right in here." He heard Melissa's voice say through the door.

"I know where he is!"

At the angry voice, Zechs sighed. He was right. She was in a very bad mood. Though there was nothing he could do about it. As the door swung open, Zechs plastered a smile on his face as he was greeted by glaring blue eyes.

"Go away now." The woman told Melissa, never letting her gaze leave the detective.

As Melissa turned to leave, Zechs had to stifle a laugh as the young woman mumbled the word "bitch" under her breath before turning to leave and closing the door behind her. Now that they were alone, Zechs leaned back in his chair with his hands going behind his head. The woman kept her standing position, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Une, it's nice to see you again."

"Don't you fucking give me that cockamamie, gentleman bullshit." She snapped with a shake of her head. "I'm not a twenty something, horny, brunette, bimbo that has yet to see what a true bitch acts like."

Zechs couldn't help but smile wider at Une's words and he also couldn't help but be a bit nervous. For the woman in front of him to use so much profanity meant that she was angry and was about ready to kick someone's ass. And he was pretty sure that his was first on the list.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her, knowing well enough that something was wrong.

"You know damn well that something's wrong!" She bellowed, jabbing a finger in his direction. "You and your shit for brain men are useless that's what's wrong!"

"Can you be more specific with your problem?" Zechs asked tauntingly, watching her anger rise. "And maybe you'd like to take a seat?"

"Don't patronize me, Marquise." She warned in a low, threatening voice. "Or I swear I'll do something you'll regret."

"I never regret anything a woman does to me."

Une gave a sigh of disgust along with a roll of her eyes; she was not in the mood for his antics. She was pissed and damn it all to hell, she wanted to stay that way.

"Listen, detective." She started moving forward. "I'll give it to you straight."

As she now stood in front of his desk, she slammed both hands down onto it with her palms, leaning forward to now hover over the well amused officer so that she could look the least bit intimidating.

"You and your boys sent me to the subway station to try and find finger prints because there were none that you were able to pick up with your primitive mystery kits and you needed my skill and forensics knowledge to help your sorry asses. However, here is where I have the problem. And I ask you this question in hopes that you somehow get an idea of how I'm feeling. You ready for it?"

At Zechs' nod she leaned closer, her blue eyes were burning down at him through the lens of her glasses and her voice become dangerously calm.

"Do you know how many fingerprints there are in a subway station?"

Zechs frowned, allowing himself to tick the woman off further by pretending as if he were really thinking about the question. When he saw her nails begin to impatiently scratch at the top of his desk, he decided to pity her and answer the question.

"Hundreds?" He asked her and she gave him a "kiss my ass" smile.

"Thousands." She provided pushing away from the desk. "Hundreds of thousands. Hell, millions! Millions, Zechs! How the fuck am I supposed to find a fingerprint to match those on the phone out of millions, Marquise!"

"By looking?"

At the answer she gave a sarcastic laugh, giving the grinning detective the one-fingered salute. She then seated herself onto the lone couch that sat on the opposite wall of his desk besides the door. She crossed both her arms and legs as her eyes looked to Zechs, her mouth set in a firm line as her anger bubbled dangerously close to exploding. Since that was the look that Zechs had learned to avoid, or at least push her to and then take to calming her down, it was time that he got serious. He stood from his chair, his hand going into the pockets of his slacks as he walked to the front of his desk. He sat against it, his own arms crossing over his chest as he looked at the miffed woman on his couch.

"Une, I apologize for sending you on this wild goose chase." He apologized, watching her shrug. "You're right. My men do have shit for brains and that's why I asked for your help. We can't do it alone; we need your wonderful expertise. If there was anyone who was able to find one fingerprint in one million, it's you."

With a "hmph", Une looked away from him. He was using that debonair way of his and much to her dismay, it was beginning to work. With a sigh she looked back to him, wanting to hit that damned smirk from his face. She had her own triumph as well and she restrained herself from showing it. She had gained an apology from Zechs Marquise, a man who said he was never sorry for anything he did. Though try as she might to hide her amusement, Zechs had caught it in her eyes, frowning as she began to chuckle to herself.

"You found the match didn't you?" He asked her, watching her burst out with laughter.

He sighed in annoyance, standing straight up so that he could walk closer to her. She stood as well; still unable to control her laughter and knowing that it bothered him that he was being laughed at. But who cared? Revenge was sweet and deliciously hilarious.

"Melissa's right." Zechs told her as she began to calm down to giggles. "You are a bitch."

Pushing him away playfully, Une wiped at the tears in her eyes. She hadn't really laughed this hard in her life.

"I couldn't resist, Zechs." She said finally, though still gasping for breath. "You were just in need of an ego deflation and I was angry that I had to search from dawn till dusk at the subway station."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, did you get the fingerprint?"

"Of course I did. I found several, all of them matching the second set of prints on the phone." She informed him, reseating herself on the couch. "It seemed that they're a frequent rider of that train line and used that subway station every day. Then again, who drives in New York?"

"I do." Zechs reminded her and she scoffed.

"Of course you do, Mr. Bentley." Une commented with a dismissing wave of her hand. "You can't help but show off your fancy car. It's that male ego of yours that makes you think you're too high and mighty for public transportation."

"No, I just don't see why I need to spend money to travel when I have my own mode of transportation that's free." Zechs argued and Une rolled her eyes.

"Not all of us were blessed with daddy's wallet on his death bed so that we could buy any and every car we ever wanted." Une said sitting back. "Anyway, back to business. The fingerprints match. You think you've found a perp?"

Zechs shrugged, letting a hand rub behind his neck.

"I still have to get the guy in for questioning." He told her with another shrug. "Besides, I don't want to rush into anything. What if he just happens to be a victim of circumstance?"

"You have a point." Une agreed, biting her lip in thought.

The two fell quiet in thought, both Zechs and Une staring down at the carpeted floor.

"Oh!" Une exclaimed with a snap of her fingers. "I almost forgot."

Zechs watched her reach into the inside pocket of her jacket, pulling out a small plastic evidence bag and flinging it for the blond detective. He caught it, looking to the woman with a raised eyebrow before letting his eyes fall onto the object in his hand.

"It's a bullet." He said intrigued. "There's gunplay involved in this case?"

Une shrugged, leaning back on the couch and draping her arms on the back of the couch as she crossed her legs.

"Who knows." She finally said, watching as Zechs continued to study the silver object. "Though you want to know something odd?"

Zechs looked up at her and he threw the bullet back in her direction, smiling as she caught it with one hand.

"Shoot." He told her, his hands going into his pockets again.

"The bullet obviously entered someone's flesh." Une provided, a frown of confusion masking her face. "But even though there was blood found on the bullet, there was none at the crime scene to match it to."

"I see. So, there was absolutely no blood at the crime scene?"

"Besides the blood of the two train crushed guys, there was nothing matching the blood on the bullet."

"And the gun itself?" Zechs asked her.

"Gone."

She replaced the bullet into her pocket and Zechs sighed as he let his hands rub at his face. He was now tired and wanted to go home. It was early he knew, but he hadn't had a case like this in years. It was already getting to him and he knew that it would only get worse from here.

"Maybe one of the bodies were the one shot?" Une suggested, seeing Zechs' weariness. "You hear anything from the autopsies yet?"

"Nope, not yet." He provided. "And even if I had, it raises questions. How did the bullet get from the body to the floor?"

"Maybe it only grazed the victim, or it was a clean shot through."

"No." Zechs said with a shake of his head. "It would have hit a wall and embedded it either way. That bullet was shot from a very powerful gun. You, the forensics major should know this after all."

"Eat me." Une retorted with a scoff.

"Only if you blow me."

Standing from the couch, she straightened her clothes.

"Okay." She announced. "That's my cue to leave. You're going back into asshole mode. Needless to say, I'm interested in this little case of yours. You mind if I stay on board?"

"Be my guest."

"Great. Well I'm out of here. I'll catch you tomorrow."

Zechs nodded in parting, watching as Une turned to leave out of the door and admiring another pert ass as it left his office. Yup, there was definitely nothing wrong with looking. The door closed behind the woman, cutting him off from the view of the jean-clad ass. He gave a sigh as he returned to his desk. Though he wanted to head home there was work to do. This was the city that never slept after all; he had to make sure it lived up to its name.

xoxoxox

Wufei grimaced after he forced himself to swallow his seventh shot of tequila that evening. Of course that was added to the two shots of vodka, three cosmos and a bottle of beer that he had already had. His friend had already warned him that he was on the road to alcohol poisoning and he had only giggled. He was already tipsy then, now he was smashed and he was pretty sure that he wasn't done. As he reached out for the tequila bottle, he found it was pulled out of reach by a hand while another stopped his hand from reaching for it.

"That's it." A voice told him. "You've had enough. You're going to end up in the E.R. if you keep going this way."

Wufei turned bloodshot eyes to his friend, watching as the blue eyes stared back at him in worry. Quatre was always worrying over him and he found that to be very touching. However, when it came to him and the wonderful intoxication of alcohol, he would show no mercy to those who stood in his way.

"Quatre, I know you love me and you care for my well-being." He slurred heavily, trying his best to stand, but finding it hard to. "But I've warned you time and time again to never take liquor away from me."

Quatre scoffed with a roll of his eyes, pulling the bottle of tequila further away from Wufei's reach. He had no doubt that Wufei would get angry, but he also had no doubt that the Chinese boy would do absolutely nothing he threatened. He was too drunk to even stand up. Honestly, Quatre had no idea why he even encouraged the drinking of a minor. It was probably because he couldn't say no to Wufei. He had a small, if not miniscule thing for the young drunk and he found it hard at times to ever say no to him. Then again, he'd have to hate himself later on if he continued to let Wufei drink his health away.

He stood from his place on the floor, returning the liquor bottle to its rightful place in the liquor cabinet and locking the door behind him. Quatre then turned back to Wufei, who was now whining at the loss of his precious liquor. It was a sad sight indeed, but Quatre had to be strong. Returning to his friend, he sat beside him and helped the boy to stand up from the floor before reseating him onto the couch. There Wufei leaned back, his head hanging back against the back of it. Quatre could only sigh, taking a seat next to his drunken comrade.

"You said you needed to talk on the phone." Quatre reminded him, Wufei raising his head. "You want to get to that or you want to sleep this off first?"

Wufei shook his head as he sat up, trying to focus on Quatre's face which to him seemed to be multiplying at the moment.

"If I don't tell you now, I'll forget later." He slurred with a hiccup.

"Well what is it?" Quatre asked now curious. "I can't begin to guess what's got you drinking this much."

He paused as Wufei's head bowed as if almost in shame and he frowned. The last time he had seen that look on Wufei's face was last month after the boy had found that the guy he liked was only. . .

"Oh no, Wufei." Quatre said putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Did something happen with another guy? I told you that you needed to be more careful."

Wufei looked up at his friend with a frown, not exactly sure what the older of the two was talking about. What guy was there?

"No, Quatre. There's no guy." Wufei corrected with a small smile that faded just as quickly as it appeared. "At least not after that asshole Darrel. Anyway, I wanted to tell you something else."

"So, what is it?" Quatre continued to push, wanting to know.

He watched Wufei stop as if to collect his words and he let him, knowing that Wufei was drunk and needed sometime to figure out how to tell him. When it seemed that he had gathered all he wanted to say, Wufei looked up to his friend with a drunken smile. However, that faded as well to make way for a much more serious face and Quatre watched as Wufei wrapped his arms around himself.

"Quatre, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Do you think that…do you believe in…"

"Wufei?"

"Vampires exist."

At Wufei's words, Quatre became baffled. What exactly did the boy mean? Vampires? As in the blood-sucking, pale skinned, always beautiful to some extent immortals? _Those_ vampires?

"What do you mean?" He asked, wanting to make sure he heard correctly.

"I mean vampires." Wufei slurred. "Well one at least. It exists, I really saw one."

Okay. These kinds of conversations are usually heard when Wufei was gone beyond getting sober in the next hour or two. If it wasn't the boy's drunkenness to blame it on, he would have to say that the boy was going crazy.

"Last night, on my way home, these three guys attacked me."

"Are you okay?" Quatre asked, holding Wufei's face. "What happened?"

"Nothing but a pickpocket, thankfully. Though I was kind of roughed up a bit. And I would have been raped, but some guy he came out of nowhere and he helped me out. He killed two guys with his bare hands and the other. . . I saw him sink his teeth into the guy's neck."

"Wufei-"

"I'm not crazy, Quatre!" Wufei insisted, moving closer to the blond. "I'm serious."

Quatre studied his friend, looking into ebony that though revealed that the boy was drunk also revealed that he was scared. Something that he had seen last night had put this fear into him and though Quatre still doubted the existence of vampires, he was finding it hard to not believe that his friend had been witness to something horrible. Moving forward he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, feeling Wufei rest his head against his shoulder and wrap his own arms around him.

"I'm sorry, Fei." Quatre apologized. "I have no idea what you went through last night."

"I have to go in for questioning." Wufei mumbled, Quatre hearing the sleep in his voice. "They found my phone on one of the dead guys."

"That was _your_ phone?" Quatre asked pulling back to look at Wufei's face. "Those three men who mugged you are the same guys that they found in the subway?"

Wufei nodded and Quatre sighed. This was a predicament. He had no idea what to say to all this. If this guy, this "vampire", had indeed been the one to murder those guys, then Wufei just had to tell the cops. He was innocent. Hell, he was a victim himself.

"What are you going to tell them?" He asked his friend, the boy shrugging.

"I can't tell them about the vampire guy." Wufei told him. "They'd think I was crazy or lying my way out of being a suspect."

"I guess you can just tell them what happened and that the guy intervened." Quatre suggested. "Just don't mention that the guy is a vampire and you'll be fine."

Wufei stopped for a moment, letting everything that Quatre told him sink in and then he nodded in understanding. He would be fine as long as he didn't say anything about vampires. He thanked Quatre, giving the man a smile and leaning back into the couch. He was now at ease or at least was somewhat there. He was still scared shitless however. If that man indeed was a vampire, what was the chance that he left Wufei alone after this? He knew that it wasn't very likely that he would begin stalking him, but what if he was interested in harming Wufei in some way?

Quatre, knowing the worried look on Wufei's face, rested a hand on top of the boy's, causing Wufei to look at him. He gave the boy a smile and his eyes asked the question of "What's wrong?".

"What if he decides to come after me?" Wufei asked with an embarrassed smile.

"Hold on."

Standing from the couch, Quatre left the room, leaving Wufei to ponder drunkenly where he had gone to. He returned from his bedroom, his hands tinkering with something he held within them. Sitting back on the couch, he let the item dangle from his fingers to swing in front of Wufei. The Chinese youth frowned in question, his fingers reaching out to take the gleaming chain. He held it in his hand, looking down to find a small metal crucifix hanging from the links of chain. He looked back up to Quatre, who only gave him a smile.

"It's a crucifix." He explained with shrug of his shoulders. "I know it's kind of silly but I guess you can use it as protection. Vampires are afraid of those, right? So, there you go. And I believe that they don't like silver either, so you have double protection since it's pure silver."

"I know what it is." Wufei said, placing it around his neck. "I'm just curious as to why you have it."

"What? Why?"

"Well, you're Muslim."

"Oh. I used to go to a private school when I was younger; mostly Catholics." Quatre explained, "My parents freaked, you know the whole no idols thing. I don't know, I just never thought to get rid of it. So, you can keep it."

"Oh, well thank you."

"No problem. How about we go to bed?" Quatre suggested, standing from the couch. "You're too drunk to go home on your own and I have work in the morning."

Wufei stood as well, trying his best to keep his balance and failing as he fell back onto the couch. He looked up to Quatre who only shook his head in slight disapproval.

"I'll sleep on the couch." Wufei told him. "It's alright."

"Okay. Well I'll wake you before I go okay?"

"Alright. Good night."

"Good night."

Leaning down, Quatre placed a kiss to Wufei's forehead before leaving to get the boy a pillow and blanket. When he returned, Wufei was already asleep and he set to the task of getting the boy ready for bed. When he was done, he looked down at the sleeping teenager, happy that he could be even the slightest bit of help for this boy. With a look at the time, he headed for his bedroom knowing that he had to get up bright and early. Though he wasn't exactly sure that he would be able to fall asleep anytime soon, Wufei's sudden belief in vampires had piqued his own interest. What if vampires really did exist and what if one had decided to take a liking to Wufei? Quatre brushed it off, mentally scolding himself. There were no such things as vampires and Wufei was most definitely not being followed by one. Changing into his night clothes he laid back onto his bed, letting the quiet of his apartment lull him to sleep.

xoxoxox

Violet eyes watched as the last light in the apartment window went out, leaving the place in complete darkness.

"So, vampires don't exist?" The man asked himself, a dark smile taking to his lips.

He let himself down from the roof top of the opposite building he was standing on, a dark billowing shadow as he slowly reached the ground. Looking up at the window he had just been looking into, he replaced his sunglasses with a low and sensual laugh, white fanged teeth gleaming in the streetlights.

"I guess I'll have to make you believe otherwise."

T.B.C.

Once again I have no idea where this is going, just work with me people. Leave reviews and all that jazz. I love you guys and all. Ciao.


	3. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I'm not even sure if anyone's still reading this thing, I'm gonna post it anyway. Need to get it out of my head before I go insane. Here's another chapter.

xoxoxox

Wufei opened his eyes at the call of his name to be greeted with unfamiliar surroundings or at least it felt like unfamiliar surroundings. It was too dark to tell just exactly where he was. However, he knew that is wasn't Quatre's apartment. It had to be somewhere entirely different. He was aware of another presence and he shivered as the air trembled around him. Whatever was there was powerful and it was watching him. His breath quickened as his eyes began to frantically and unsuccessfully search the darkness. He felt as liquid began to slowly run down his skin, his clothes clinging to him as it ran more quickly and soaking the fabric. It wasn't being dropped on him from above; it felt almost as if it was running out of every pore in his skin.

At the familiar metallic smell, Wufei's mouth opened to gasp, allowing the liquid to run into it and fall on his tongue. The taste was much too familiar and as he looked down, the sudden presence of light revealed the crimson matter that coated his entire skin.

xoxoxox

Wufei sat up from where he laid on the couch, his mouth open to scream though his voice seemed to have taken leave. His hands gripped the blanket that had been draped over him in a death-grip and his chest rose and fell as he panted, his heart beating rapidly. The cold sweat that broke out over him, soaked into his clothes and Wufei panicked, frantically removing the sheets to look down at his skin. His eyes strained in the darkness of Quatre's apartment so that he could study himself.

No blood. There was nothing there.

Wufei felt relief at that and he forced himself to calm down. He had no idea what that dream had meant and he found that he couldn't understand it. The adrenaline was still rushing through his veins and Wufei found that he couldn't calm down. His heart still raced and every hair on his body was standing on end. He had dreamed that something was watching him and now he felt as if he was still being watched. His eyes searched the dark apartment, trying his best to find his observer. There was no question that someone was there, he just wasn't so sure that he wanted to know who.

He tensed as the lamp across the room was turned on, his head turning so that his eyes could look in its direction. His breath caught in his chest as he recognized the man from the night before. He sat on Quatre's chair, dressed once again in black, though tonight it was a suit rather than the jeans and t-shirt he wore the other night. His hair was still in its braid. Nothing was different, save the sunglasses that weren't perched on his nose today. Violet eyes shined brilliantly in the dim lighting, the two orbs studying Wufei intently. Pale fingers, the nails no longer polished, was folded atop crossed legs.

The air in the room dropped in temperature or so it felt to Wufei, who was now shivering as if he was caught outside in the winter temperature. He didn't move, he knew that he shouldn't. His body tensed as the stranger moved, though he only unfolded his hands, resting them on either arm of the chair. At Wufei's nervous behavior, the man gave a laugh, the air vibrating as he did.

"Bad dream?" The man asked suddenly, his voice startling the ebony-haired boy.

Wufei wasn't sure if to answer or not. He wasn't sure what would upset this man and he had already seen him upset. His stomach twisted at the memory of the night before and he closed his eyes as he tried to clear his mind of them.

"Do you truly mourn for them?" The man asked, Wufei opening his eyes to look at him once again. "Even after knowing what they would have done to you?"

"They-"

"Were going to hurt you." The man reminded him, fingers drumming the arm of the chair. "And they most definitely wanted to kill you."

Wufei stiffened at that, wishing his heart would stop pounding. Something in the back of his mind was telling him that he was in danger and he was sure that it was right. However, with his eyes glued onto the pale face across the room and violet eyes pinning him in place, he really couldn't do much about it.

"Answer my question." The man demanded, Wufei's grip tightening on the blanket. "Do you mourn for them?"

"No." Wufei quickly answered, the man throwing back his head to laugh.

It echoed throughout the apartment, Wufei feeling the air tremble at the inhuman sound of it. His eyes widened at the sight of glistening fangs and he felt his body shy away into the couch. He had begun a small mantra of "vampires don't exist" in his head, but his body knew otherwise. Before him sat a predator and there was no doubting that he was the targeted pray. As the man finally stopped laughing, his grin lingered as he took note of the boy trying his best to merge himself with the couch.

"You lie." He revealed, the boy falling still. "Your fear of me made you choose that answer."

"Why would I be afraid of you?" Wufei asked, wanting to kick himself.

He knew damn well why he should be afraid of the man in front of him. Attractive nature, beautiful features and seductive stares aside, the man was terrifying. Just his presence made Wufei's "safety meter" fall dangerously low and he was straining against his own body that was trying its best to flee. However, he knew it would be fruitless, if his memory of the other night served him right, he would fail in trying to out run the man.

Watching the boy in front of him wait uneasily for his answer, the man stood, watching ebony eyes widen as he slowly drew closer. His eyes zeroed in onto the vein that pulsed rapidly below the skin of his neck in time with his heart. It was music to his ears. That fear; it made is hunger rise. He hovered over Wufei now, his hand reaching out to slowly stroke a caramel cheek, gasping at the heated feel of it. It covered Wufei's gasp of shock at the feel of ice-like fingers, pulling away from the man's touch.

His hand never wavered and he reached for Wufei again, the back of his fingers brushing the cheek again. He watched Wufei's body quiver and his ears listened to the thundering sound of the boy's heartbeat, his own heart speeding up as the unmistakable feeling of hunger settled itself deep within him. His finger took to running through silken ebony strands, a soft moan falling from the boy's lips as his other hand cupped his face. He had forgotten what he was capable of making the human body feel and he smiled as the Chinese youth's eyes closed in pleasure, his hand reaching up to grip at his wrist.

Wufei had no inkling that just a simple touch could cause him to react so heatedly. He found that he was now panting for an entirely different reason, the cold of fear that had tickled his spine was replaced with a jolt of pleasure as cold yet pleasing fingers caressed him. His hand was taken and he was gently pulled to a standing position, his eyes opening to watch up dreamily into mesmerizing violet. As a finger traced over his lips, he gave an inaudible gasp, feeling the touch slowly trace toward his neck.

"What are you doing to me?" Wufei asked suddenly, wanting an explanation.

If he was being seduced he needed a damn good reason as to why it was happening. He hadn't really wanted himself to be melting under the gaze of demonic eyes and the touch of icy fingers that left every inch of skin it brushed over in a blazing heat. His blood was singing and he hoped to any and everything that it would stop.

"Why stop?" The vampire asked him, his lips lowering to brush against Wufei's. "Why not ask for more? It is what you want, isn't it?"

"More?" Wufei asked, not sure what "more" meant.

He was also quite curious as to how the man knew what he was thinking. However, before he could contemplate it further, cold lips brushed against the sensitive skin on his neck. He grew limp then, his head leaning back against his will in offering. He didn't have to guess what was next. His eyes clenched shut as a short cry of pain escaped his lips as the sharp shock of teeth breaking skin spread throughout his entire body. He felt as lips curled into a smile against his skin and his eyes began to droop closed. If he was about to die, he would not be awake to experience it.

xoxoxox

Quatre had been awakened by the laughter that had echoed throughout his apartment. Someone else was there with them and he was pretty sure that it was a visitor that they could do without. As he stood from his bed, he took hold of the wooden bat that stood behind his bedroom door. He knew whoever, whatever, was out there wouldn't be intimidated by the weapon, but he felt a tad bit better with the familiar weight of it in his hands.

His feet took him down the small hallway connecting his bedroom to the rest of the apartment. He could see the dim light of the side table lamp spill out of the doorway to the living room and he stopped a few steps before it, listening quietly for any signs that his young friend was in danger. Eyebrows drew together in a frown at the unmistakable sound of a moan. What was going on in there? His curiosity got the best of him and he let his head peek into the room, finding Wufei now held in the stranger's arms. As Wufei asked a question, the man answered with a question of his own, his voice causing the hair on the back of Quatre's neck to stand on end.

"Vampire."

The breathless way in which he had said it hadn't been heard, though he pulled back into the hallway to press himself against the wall, just in case. He was now pretty sure that the bat wouldn't be of much help to him even though his grip on it tightened. His palms had begun to sweat, his heart racing at the thought of a very dangerous creature in his house. He tried his best to calm himself. His heart was pounding awfully loud and he was sure that it would be heard. He didn't want to be on the creature's menu tonight.

Nor did he want Wufei to be. The sight of the boy trapped in the creature's arms forced Quatre to gain the confidence he needed to confront the unwanted guest. Wufei was in danger and he was his only hope. At Wufei's pained cry, Quatre looked into the living room again, watching as his friend was slowly feasted on. He had to do something; he just wasn't so sure what. His eyes looked down to the bat and he rolled his eyes. It wouldn't do much, if it did anything at all, but at least he would have tried.

"Goddess, help us both." He quietly muttered, both hands gripping the bat.

He slowly pulled away from the wall, turning to face the doorway completely. His eyes watched as the man pulled away from Wufei's neck, tongue licking blood red lips. A shiver ran down Quatre's spine at the sight. His feet took him across the room as quietly as he could, his heart pounding faster and louder than before. Occupied with resting Wufei back on the couch, the vampire couldn't have possibly heard when the blond came up behind him. Or at least, that was what Quatre was hoping.

As he raised the bat, he could only swing it down half way, aquamarine eyes widening as the man turned to take hold of the bat on its descent.

"I was wondering when you would show yourself." The vampire said calmly, his eyes glowering at the frightened blond. "Do you believe now, Quatre?"

Quatre groaned as he hit the floor painfully, having been pushed back violently. The bat had been taken from him, held in an inhuman grip. The young man scrambled to right himself as the vampire drew closer, his fingers clutching to the bat until it began to splinter in his grasp. Since his legs didn't want to work, the most Quatre could do was watch wide-eyed as the scowling predator drew closer, murderous gleam in his eyes.

The broken bat was thrown to the side and Quatre whimpered unwillingly as the man towered above him, slowly lowering to crouch over the fear stricken Arab. A pale hand lifted, the silver cross that Quatre had given Wufei hanging from his fingers.

"Tell me, Quatre." The chestnut-haired creature started, his eyes narrowing. "What did you expect this to do?"

The cross was thrown to the floor, the vampire standing once again.

"I have no weakness to the idols of the church." He spat, turning to make his way to the chair he was sitting in before.

He seated himself in it; one leg going over the other as his elbows were propped on either arm, his hands folding to act as a prop for his chin. His anger was hanging in the air and it was directed at Quatre who was still on the floor, wide eyes locked onto the monster that sat in his furniture.

"Did you honestly believe that a silver cross would keep me from him?"

Finally able to, Quatre lifted himself from the floor, his fear making way for his own anger.

"Who are you?" He demanded, the vampire's question going unanswered. "What do you want?"

"Of course, how rude of me." The creature started. "I've forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Duo Maxwell and I'm sure you already know _what_ I am."

"I know what you are." Quatre hissed, his earlier fear gone. "Nightwalker."

"Ah." Duo said in appreciation. "I've never been called Nightwalker before. I like it."

He stood again, smiling as the Arab took a cautious step away, though his mask of anger didn't waver. Stepping forward, violet eyes looked back to the sleeping Chinese boy, controlling the urge to feed on the young man once again. There was always another night. He would make sure that there would be. He needed that boy.

"What do want with him?" Quatre demanded, having caught Duo's eyes on his friend.

"What does it matter to you?" Duo questioned, eyes never leaving the sleeping body on the couch. "If I wanted, I could take him. You have no methods of stopping me, or do you still believe in the power of your silver cross?"

Quatre glared at the vampire in front of him, backing away as he walked forward. He bumped into another side table, looking back to find he had found his way to very useful supplies. Hands behind his back, the young man took hold of a jar of gray powder, slowly opening it and pouring some of the contents into his hand. As his eyes connected with Duo's, he saw the creature's eyes widen with recognition.

"Witch!" Duo hissed, his turn to now back away.

"Leave my house, vampire."

Bringing his hand from behind his back, Quatre blew the powder in the creature's direction, the grains bursting into flames. At the presence of the fire, Duo took that as his sign to do as he was bid. With one last look to the sleeping form on the sofa, he disappeared out of sight before the flames could reach him.

At the sight of an empty apartment free of unwanted visitors, Quatre sighed in relief, his body nearly collapsing. He hadn't thought they actually existed; he had always doubted. He looked to Wufei, the boy mumbling softly in his sleep. The ebony-haired boy had been right, his coven had been right. Vampires existed outside of legend and movies. The fire had scared him, luckily enough. Duo couldn't tell that it was only an illusion and the young blond was happy that he hadn't figured it out. With his legs quivering under his weight that suddenly seemed much too heavy, Quatre slowly let his body sink to the floor. He had never had to deal with anything like this and he found it was a bit hard to recover from it.

Duo had seemed intent on gaining Wufei in any way possible. He wanted him for more than nourishment; he had felt it. Wufei was more than meet the eye, he knew it since he had first met him, but Quatre had yet to figure it out.

_Spellbinder._

Quatre stiffened at the voice that entered his mind, his eyes looking around the apartment. Duo was no longer inside, but he was still watching. Quatre could feel those eyes on him from a distance.

_I want him._

"You can't have him."

_You cannot always be with him. I will find him without you and I will have him._

With that, Duo's presence was gone and Quatre felt himself relax once again. He didn't hesitate to set wards at every entrance he could think of, knowing he wouldn't be able to go to sleep if he didn't. Though he wanted to make sure that Wufei was alright, he found he would have to live with the fact that the boy was sleeping just fine. He had work in the morning.

"Morning." He muttered, standing up on shaky legs. "Something I'll be looking forward to."

xoxoxox

Detective Marquise was not a morning person. He was the kind to wake at the stroke of twelve and do nothing but lie on the couch until he felt it time to actually do something. However, his career choice of being a detective required him to start every day early. So, this morning his alarm clock had rudely awakened him. He had to resist the urge to pull his .35 out of the side draw and end the appliance's life. It was hard not to, but he managed, settling for throwing the clock across the room where it smashed against the wall.

With waking up out of the way, that left showering and getting dressed. It didn't take him too long to do, though he complained the entire time. Une had suggested that he be in on time today or rather had threatened to do him bodily harm if he was late. He had known better than to do the opposite of what she told him. Une was a woman who could follow through with every threat that she promised. Fully dressed and ready to go, he caught sight of the blinking red light on his answering machine, indicating that he had a message. He wasn't sure if he should listen to it or not, afraid that it would be an angry message from Une. A quick look down at his wristwatch assured him that it was too early for it to be a message from her and he quickly strode over to the machine.

He smiled at the voice that came from it and he stopped the message so that he could sit and listen more carefully. If Noin was calling him, then she most definitely had something important to say. Rewinding the tape, he let it play again from the beginning.

"Get your ass up, Zechs. I'll be meeting you at the precinct in an hour, meaning that if you're not there when I get there, you'll be very sorry. I have the results of the autopsy and I think you'll be very interested in what I have for you. I'll see you there. Oh and Zechs, you're tie's on backwards."

As the message ended, Zechs looked down at his tie, his eyes rolling as he gave a scoff. He had no idea how the woman did it. Rising from the chair, he began pulling at his tie to remove it. When it didn't budge, he left it alone. He hated the damn things anyway. With his coat, briefcase and keys in hand, Zechs walked out of his apartment.

xoxoxox

He wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, but Wufei woke to find himself buried under comforters in a bed he knew wasn't his. His eyes fell closed again, not wanting to wake up just yet. He couldn't remember much from last night, even as his mind screamed that something had happened. He sat up in the bed, his eyes looking around the room. He knew where he was the instant he looked around. He just wasn't sure why he was in Quatre's bedroom, he was pretty sure that he had been on the couch. Quatre must have put him in the bedroom when he had wakened to go to work. The sound of glass shattering told the Chinese boy a different story. Quatre was still home, which meant that he was either running late or he wasn't going to work at all. Standing from the bed, Wufei stretched before heading for the kitchen.

xoxoxox

Quatre swore under his breath as he had managed to drop his mug of coffee. He had left early to buy some, since he really didn't drink the stuff he never bought it. However, this morning he found himself craving caffeine and tea would not have cut it for him. The events of last night had left him shaky, both mentally and physically. As his fingers reached for the broken glass on the floor, he watched them shake violently. He wasn't used to this. He had never had encounters with the Undead, had never needed to use his magic for anything and now he felt tired. He was drained to the point of exertion. It probably didn't help that he had carried Wufei to his bedroom earlier either. The boy wasn't too heavy, but in his already weakened state he was heavier than he looked. Quatre had weakened himself further in carrying him. He needed rest. If he didn't he'd faint away, but he was being stubborn. He would rest after he had taken care of a few things.

His attention was brought to the doorway where Wufei stood looking down at him and he gave the boy a tired smile. He didn't want Wufei to know that something was wrong; he'd have to hide as much as he could. Something he really didn't want to do.

"Hi." He greeted cheerfully, standing from the floor. "You're up early."

"And you're still home." Wufei said with a small smirk. "Why aren't you at work?"

"I, uh, wasn't feeling too hot. So I called in sick."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little tired. I couldn't sleep last night."

Ebony eyes found the small container of coffee on the counter and he pointed to it before looking to the Arab in front of him.

"Since when do you drink coffee?" He asked suspiciously, the blond hiding it away behind him.

"Since this morning; I figured I needed the wake-up call." He held the can up. "I can make you some if you'd like."

"Sure."

Wufei made his way to the small table that adorned the kitchen, watching as the blond busied himself around the room. Something was wrong, he could tell, but Quatre wouldn't tell him what. It was up to Wufei to find out what was bothering his friend.

Quatre tried his best to steady his hands as he set about to making another cup of coffee for himself and one for Wufei as well.

"So what time are you going down to the precinct?" Quatre asked, wanting to distract Wufei's mind.

If the Chinese boy had studied him a moment longer, he would have found that there was definitely something wrong with him. He didn't want his friend to worry; he was doing enough of that for both of them.

"The precinct?" Wufei asked confused, his chin resting onto his palm that was propped up onto the table. "What are you talking about?"

"You know. You were asked to go in for questioning." Quatre reminded him, turning back with two mugs of coffee in hand. "Don't you remember?"

As he rested the cups on the table, Quatre sighed. He knew this would happen. Last night as a precaution he had placed a memory loss spell on him so that Wufei wouldn't remember last night's encounter with Duo. However, he had erased too much of his memory. The only thing he could do now was return it. As Wufei continued in trying his best to remember everything from two days ago, Quatre walked out of the kitchen, entering the living room. He made his way to the small bookcase, pulling out an aged book and opening the pages. A small sheet of paper was removed, his blue eyes looking down at the intricate design that adorned the page. Returning the book in its place, he held the paper between his fingers before neatly ripping it in half.

"Remember."

After the single word, Quatre heard the loud swear, followed by Wufei rushing out of the kitchen. He barely had time to speak as the boy was hurrying off to the bathroom. A few seconds later, he returned with one hand pulling on his jeans, while the other was brushing his teeth.

"I can't believe I almost forgot." Wufei said through a mouthful of toothpaste. "What if I had missed the damn thing?"

Quatre watched as Wufei paced back and forth, pants now on but unfastened, as he hurriedly brushed his teeth. It was only when Quatre noticed that he frowned, arms crossing.

"Is that my toothbrush?" He asked.

"I'll buy you a new one." Wufei promised heading back for the bathroom.

It only took him a few minutes before he was dressed and ready to head out of the door, his hands busying themselves with pulling his hair back into a tight ponytail. Ebony eyes looked to Quatre, who merely stood lost in thought and he called the older boy's name to grab his attention.

"You alright?" Wufei asked, pulling on his coat.

Quatre forced on a smile, giving the boy a shrug.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He lied, feeling guilty that he had to do so. "Why do you ask?"

"You look a bit shaken." Wufei said, now fully dressed. "Like you've seen a ghost."

'Worse than a ghost.' Quatre thought to himself.

He waved the statement off, walking closer to his younger friend to zip up his coat. Blue eyes traveled over the slender neck as he did so, catching the faint bruising that adorned the copper skin. Wufei hadn't remembered anything of last night. Either he was too drunk to notice or the vampire had taken care of that on his own. Looking up into dark eyes, Quatre gave a small smile, his arms crossing once again.

"I'm okay." He assured the boy, though he doubted it himself. "A bit of coffee and I'll be fine. You should get going."

"Right." Wufei said going to the door. "I'll see you later then."

Watching as the boy slipped out of the door, Quatre felt his body weaken even more. He had never been this weak after casting his spells; something was wrong. Returning to the kitchen for his forgotten coffee, he then went to his couch, curling up on it as he stared off into space. He had to pay a visit to his coven; there were a lot of questions he had to ask.

xoxoxox

Zechs wasn't surprised to find his office wasn't empty as two women sat atop his desk, their eyes revealing that they had been waiting. He greeted them halfheartedly, resting his briefcase on the floor before he started to remove his coat. When it was hung onto the coat stand and out of the way, he picked up the briefcase and made his way to his desk.

"Hello ladies." He said in greeting once again. "I suspect you've been here for quite a while."

Une only grunted, while the other woman scoffed. By the annoyed tones in both sounds, Zechs knew they were angry with him. He was used to having to deal with only one of them at a time and he was pretty sure that if he had tried to use his charming ways he would most likely fail. So he only walked to his chair, throwing the briefcase on the desk before throwing himself into his seat. His blue eyes looked up at the two women who stood to face him and he smiled at them as he began loosening his tie. He had forgotten to fix it before coming.

"So, what's your excuse?" Une asked, her arms crossing. "Traffic jam, ran out of gas, I want to know."

"I don't understand." Zechs started, looking back and forth between the two women. "What are you so upset about?"

"Don't play dumb." Noin told him, her hands on her hips. "We told you specifically to be here in an hour. You're late."

"By like five minutes!" Zechs objected, leaning forward onto his desk. "Can you two be any more ridiculous?"

"Hey, don't get cocky with us!" Une said, jabbing a finger in his direction. "You're the one that needs our help here and that means when we tell you to be somewhere you had better be there. We took time off our original schedules for you, Marquise. The least you can do is meet us on time."

"It's only five minutes!" He argued, the two women frowning. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that we lost five minutes for a valuable discussion." Noin pointed out, her own polished finger jabbing in his direction. "I'm on borrowed time here. So when I say meet me in an hour I mean an exact hour. Otherwise you better find yourself two other forensics specialists. Got it?"

With an exasperated sigh, Zechs leaned back into his chair, his hands rubbing his face. He didn't know how exactly he got himself into these situations and he knew that he would have a hell of a time trying to get out of it. It was best not to fight it; he would just have to go along.

"Fine." He gave in, looking up at the two satisfied women. "Are you happy now?"

"Very." Noin answered, sitting on the desk yet again. "So what's in the briefcase?"

Looking down at it, Zechs snorted as he raised a foot to kick it off of his desk. It landed on the floor with a loud crash, causing it to open and send papers scattering.

"Notes." He finally answered. "Last night I tried to piece together as much as I could. However, I can't do that without all of the evidence."

Walking to the pile of papers, Une crouched before them, lifting one to look over it. An eyebrow arched as she held it up, revealing a page full of doodles and nonsense.

"And what pray tell does any of this have to do with the case?" She asked, Zechs shrugging.

He leaned forward so that his forehead rested against the desk, his hair falling down over the desktop.

"I got bored." He admitted, Noin sighing.

She stood to walk over to him, letting a hand gently rub over his back. The case, though they had barely gotten into it, was starting to bother him. He had dealt with murders before and he had dealt with less evidence than they had found. However, he hadn't been approached with a case this big in a while. He was probably feeling a bit rusty and with his delicate male ego, he was beginning to feel a bit down. No worries, all it needed was a woman's touch.

"Poor baby." She cooed, Zechs lifting his head to look at her. "You must be frustrated."

"You have no idea." He told her, a hand running through his hair. "I have a feeling that it'll only get worse."

Letting her hand rise to stroke his hair, Noin offered the detective a smile, ignoring Une's snicker. She knew exactly what Noin was attempting and she found it laughable and a bit annoying. She herself couldn't much stand Zechs' ego and didn't mind when it deflated, however if they wanted the man to work at his best performance, he would have to be stroked. She held her laughter at the innuendo; it wouldn't have helped. Zechs would only sulk even more.

"Come on, Zechs." Noin continued, seating herself on the desk in front of him. "Don't let it get to you. We haven't even gotten to the fun part yet."

"Yeah." Une jumped in, deciding to help. "You don't want to let us down do you? We know you can do it. You know you're the only one who can figure it out. That is of course with our help."

Zechs smiled at the two women, knowing exactly what they were up to. He couldn't complain though, he liked the attention. His ego liked to receive a good stroking. A smirk broke over his lips at the innuendo, his blue eyes connecting with Noin's.

"Okay, okay." He started, sitting back into his chair. "I know what you're getting at. If it pleases you to know, it worked. So, Noin, what do you have to tell me?"

Leaning back so that her arms supported her, Noin crossed her legs as her lips gave Zechs a smile.

"I was hoping you'd come around to asking me. I found the autopsies were pretty interesting. When Une told me that it was going to be one hell of a case I didn't believe her. However, during the examination I found my interest had been peaked."

"If you don't mind my asking, what exactly peaked said interest?"

"Start at the top." Une suggested, moving to sit on the couch across the room. "Trust me, Zechs. You're going to love this."

At Une's sarcastic tone, Zechs figured that whatever it was Noin had found would be just as useful as the evidence found in the subway. That meant that the only thing he would have to rely on was the interrogation that he had set up with Wufei Chang.

"Where to begin?" Noin contemplated, straightening to a sitting position. "I guess I'll start with Ricardo Munez, since his body was the one I was able to do a full examination on."

"Cause of death?"

"Punctures in both lungs caused when his ribs pierced through them. They were shattered by force and the shape of the bruising shows that it was made by a fist. Whoever this guy was fighting packed one hell of a punch."

"Is that all you could find on him?" Zechs asked, his hands folding on top of his desk as he leaned forward.

"That's unfortunately the case. The other two bodies were so cut up that I could barely get anything out of them. The most I can give with Edward Harrington is that he was killed by electrocution rather than the train that made him mush."

At Noin's words Zechs felt his stomach turn, glad that he hadn't had breakfast. He was pretty sure that if he had, the memory of seeing the bodies would have given him incentive to bring it back up. He let his stomach calm before allowing Noin to continue.

"The interesting part is with the last guy." Noin started, reaching back on the desk to a manila folder. "If your stomach's up to it, I have some visual aid."

With a groan of displeasure, Zechs reached for the photos that she pulled out of the yellow folder, blue eyes looking down to find a pale hand. A small section of the tip of a finger had been circled by a red marker and Zechs lifted the photo closer, catching sight if the single hair imbedded under the finger nail.

"You run a DNA scan on that hair?" He asked, going through the rest of the photos.

Noin scoffed, reseating herself on the desk.

"Of course I did. However, it would have been more productive if I had a perp to match it to."

"I'm working on it." Zechs muttered, studying the hand once again. "You sure that strand of hair is all you found?"

"That and the residue of gunpowder." Noin clarified, Zechs and Une looking to each other with matching smiles. "He shot at his victim, though since he's the one dead, it's safe to say that he either missed his target or they weren't mortally wounded."

"Looks like we found out who shot the gun." Une announced, Noin looking to her in question. "I found a bullet at the subway station. We weren't sure if one of guys was the one shot, but now we know. Joseph Fatone was the one holding said gun."

"And where's the gun?" Noin asked.

"We don't have a damn clue." Zechs sighed, dropping the photos onto his desk. "I had a feeling that the autopsy wouldn't help. Not that I don't appreciate your help, Noin, I just wasn't expecting much."

"Yeah, well, I bet you weren't expecting this next bit of news either." she informed him, watching him visibly show interest. "Our friend Joey died before he hit the subway tracks. The only thing is that I have no clue how. His heart was enlarged, which means it had a lack of oxygen, which would only make sense. The blood carries oxygen throughout the body; however, Joseph Fatone had no blood to carry. His heart was working overtime to pump blood that wasn't there."

Zechs stopped to mull over everything the blue-haired woman had just told him, his face frowning as he sat back in concentration. If he thought the case hadn't made much sense before, it most definitely wasn't making any kind of sense now. What could have happened to Joseph Fatone that caused him to lose blood? He would suspect that it was the fact that he was cut in pieces by the train, but Noin had said he died before he was even thrown onto the tracks.

The knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up to find Melissa peeking in. He gave the girl a smile as she entered the office with a cup of coffee in her hand, ignoring the disdainful look that Une shot her way. She greeted Noin, who only looked to Zechs with a roll of her eyes, before giving her attention to the detective.

"How are you today, detective?", she asked, making small talk.

Leaning forward onto his desk, Zechs' smiled brightened. He needed a distraction and at the moment Melissa provided him with one.

"Same shit, different day.", he answered, watching the girl give a laugh.

"I hear you."

"Is there any reason you came to visit me?"

"Do I need a reason?", she asked, walking past Noin, "Or can't I pay you a visit when I feel to?"

"You can do as you please.", Zechs answered.

"I thought I'd bring you some coffee.", she announced, resting the Styrofoam cup on the desk, "You look like you needed a pick-me-up when you walked in this morning."

"Why thank you, Melissa. How can I repay you?"

"Dinner and a movie would be nice."

Before he could answer, he heard Une clear her throat, looking up at the blond woman who gave him a "wrap it up" look. He didn't even get to flirt today. These two women were going to work him to death.

"Is there something else you wanted?" he asked her, looking up into brown eyes.

"Yeah. Those wrap sheets you sent for is at the front desk. You have to come and sign for them."

"I'll be right out."

With a nod, Melissa turned to head out of the door, Zechs' eyes glued once again to the cute ass as it left. It was a wonder he hadn't even tried to sleep with the girl yet, then again he wasn't really sure why he hadn't slept with a lot of his co-workers yet, men and women alike.

"Take a picture it lasts longer."

At Noin's curt words, Zechs looked to her, standing from his chair with a grin and his coffee in his hand.

"You have a camera I can use?"

"Yeah, I think I left in the car though."

Ignoring the woman's sarcastic remark, Zechs took to leaving the room himself; stopping as Une called his name. He looked to her, finding her eyes glaring at him threateningly.

"You have fifteen minutes to get your ass back in here." She ordered. "We're not through yet."

As Zechs reached the front desk, he greeted the officer who happened to be delivering the files with a smile. After getting his signature, the man was on his way and Zechs turned to the front desk, leaning against it as he opened up the folders. He had figured that since the three victims were also criminals, their past convictions would give some clue as why they died. So far he could read nothing of importance. The media had exaggerated and made them wanted criminals; these three saps were arrested on numerous occasions for nothing more than pick pocketing and assault. It would seem that they had decided to mug the wrong person the other night.

He wasn't aware that someone had walked up beside him; that is until the person spoke. Though since he was speaking to the receptionist behind the desk, he kept to reading over the files in his hands, determined that something would catch his eye.

"I'm here to meet Detective Zechs Marquise."

At his name, Zechs looked up, blue eyes landing on a teenaged boy probably no older than eighteen.

"You're looking for me." He provided, the boy turning to look at him. "Any particular reason?"

Ebony eyes connected with his and a shy smile greeted him as the boy took his hand in a handshake.

"I'm Chang Wufei." The boy introduced himself, Zechs unable to look away from him. "You spoke to me on the phone last night."

"Oh, right. Uh, you're the one who owns the cell phone."

At Wufei's nod, Zechs closed the files in his hand, standing straight up from his leaning position.

"I wasn't expecting you until later on this afternoon. How about we head into my office?"

"Sure."

Pointing out where his office was located, Zechs allowed the teen to go first, watching as he walked away. He hadn't expected the young man to be so damned gorgeous or that young for that matter. However, he couldn't allow himself to become sidetracked. There was a chance that the boy was a suspect; he couldn't fall into the regular habit of flirting. However, as he watched the jean clad ass walk away from him, Zechs found that he would most likely do otherwise.

"Okay, what is it with you and asses?"

At Noin's voice, Zechs jumped looking away from Wufei's rear end to glare at the woman who now stood beside him. She only gave him a smile, sipping at her coffee while patiently waiting for an answer. She had left the office for a cup of joe, leaving Une behind as the woman was certain on making sure that Zechs actually returned. Her quest for caffeine had led Noin to find the man speaking with the Chinese boy, which quickly changed to the blond detective basically drooling over the sight of the boy's behind.

As she leaned onto Zechs' shoulder, she turned to look at the boy herself, her head tilting as she gave a sound of appreciation. Not bad if she did say so herself.

"His butt _is_ kind of cute." She admitted, looking up to Zechs who was once again staring after the boy.

"Cute is an understatement." The man mumbled, Noin raising an eyebrow.

"So what would you call it?"

"All charm and manners aside?" Zechs asked, receiving a nod in answer. "Fuckable."

At the word Noin laughed, nearly spraying the coffee she had decided to sip over both her and Zechs. She had never heard Zechs Marquise actually admit to wanting to "fuck" anyone. He flirted, he gave playful banter, but he never, ever was so straight forward; it wasn't like him. The charming gentlemen would never say something like that and to hear him say it now, well it was downright hilarious. Gaining a playful punch to the arm, Noin willed herself to put on a serious mask before she returned to the office. It wouldn't do well if she walked in laughing, since Une was about ready to burst a blood vessel. Why the woman was so pissed she couldn't figure out. Then again, she had a feeling that it had something to do with the preppy brunette that had walked in the office, interrupting their conversation.

"Come on." Noin beckoned, leading the detective back to his office. "Your fifteen minutes are up."

T.B.C.

Yes I know, not my best work but it is something. Leave your reviews and I will be glad and write more if you liked it. Ciao for now.


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Note: With some encouragement from the one review I received, I've decided to keep posting this thing. Yes, I know it drags, but bear with me people I'm trying my best. I should have said this earlier but I'm really just guessing when it comes to the forensics and police work, and as for vampire legend; I'm tweaking things a bit to fit to my liking. As for witches I don't know a darn thing about them, so I'm sort of making it up as I go along here. My apologies if there are any wiccans out there. So there you have it. My little boring explanation, now you can read the chapter.

xoxoxox

"Vampires are real!"

His exclamation had caused the motion in the room to stop and the older woman that sat behind the desk he now leaned forward on rolled her eyes. She quickly motioned for the two girls in the room to go on about with the filing that Quatre had stopped and she then turned back to the young witch, noting that he was waiting for an answer.

"Of course they're real." She simply said, returning to the book in front of her. "You should damn well know that."

"I didn't know that!" Quatre cried, the woman looking up to him again. "Not until last night."

The woman froze, her eyes studying the young man carefully. The boy did seem a bit weakened. Her eyes widened in realization and she stood from her desk.

"My gods, you had an encounter with one!" She said with concern. "Were you fed on?"

"No." Quatre answered, the woman sagging back in to her chair with relief. "A friend of mine was however and I'm sure I would have been killed. Lucky enough for me I cast a deception spell. I probably would have been better prepared if I had been told that vampires existed."

"Oh shut up, Quatre." The woman sternly said, Quatre frowning. "You know damn well that we _did_ tell you that vampires were real. You're the one that brushed it aside as if it were nothing."

"Sally, you could have told me otherwise." He argued further, the woman standing again.

"Damn it, Quatre. Who am I to push you into believing what you don't want to? It's unfortunate that you had to learn the way you did, but now that you're aware of their existence, I'm sure you're here to figure out a lot more than why your stubbornness wasn't fought."

Quatre sighed, straightening from leaning on the desk to cross his arms and narrow his eyes on the elder.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am here to find out as much as possible about them. Weaknesses, strengths, abilities, I want to know everything I can learn."

With a sigh, Sally made her way over to a large bookcase that adorned her office, pulling out a book that triggered the wall next of it to slide open, and revealing another bookcase with much more worn books. She removed several, Quatre watching on in interest, before the bookcase was hidden again behind the wall and she was on her way back to her desk. Three heavy books were dropped onto the desktop and Quatre looked to her in search of an explanation.

"Vampires," Sally finally started, after much silence, "have been around as long as any creature, including vampires themselves, can remember. How they came about, that is the mystery. However, what we do know is that they are very powerful creatures indeed."

Her hand reached out to open the first book, revealing a rough picture of a vampire baring its fangs.

"They favor the night, simply because they cannot survive the day. The sun would burn them to a pile of ashes. They drink blood as the legends go, that much is true. However," She turned the page of the book, showing another picture of a vampire cowering before a cross, "this is absolute rubbish. Vampires, at least the one I had the misfortune of meeting, think nothing and claim to know nothing of God. Therefore, why would they fear His idols?"

"And what about the devil?"

"What about him?" Sally asked with a snort. "If you mean that if they worship him, then I'd say just about as much as you and I do."

"That means no then."

"Exactly. Now you said you used a spell, what did you project?"

"Fire." Quatre answered, remembering how Duo had reacted to it.

Sally nodded, closing the first book and opening the second. It seemed to be much older and dustier than the first. She turned to a page that held a picture of a vampire doused in flames and Quatre shivered at the image.

"Vampires are immortal, as we well enough know." Sally explained, pushing the book closer to Quatre. "There are very few methods that you can use to kill them. Here are the ones that _do not_ work. Holy water, wooden stakes, garlic, silver or any other farmer's tale you can think of. Fire can and will kill them, as well as removing the head."

As Quatre read over the book carefully, though keeping an ear open to Sally, he paused at the words that told him of a vampire's coven. Did they have covens?

"They travel in groups?" He asked his elder, the woman shrugging. "The book says-"

"I shouldn't let you read that." Sally admitted. "It's old and based on superstition as much as fact. Vampires rarely keep covens and they are rarely found alone. It's a known fact that if you catch a vampire unaware, there's another close by; his sire or his child."

"How will you be able to tell?" Quatre questioned, his mind turning to Duo again.

"You can't." Was the simple reply. "Of course, I'm sure if you ask you'd get an answer. Though I rather much doubt it, you'd most likely be dead before you could ask it."

Quatre closed the book in his hand, resting it back on the desk. Sally had fallen into silence, her eyes unfocused as her mind strayed to other thoughts. He let her alone, reaching for the last book that rested atop the desk. He found, as he opened the book, that it seemed to be of demons and the like, listing each one and giving a short description. It was in alphabetical order and he followed it to "v", stopping at the word he was searching for. There wasn't much the book could tell him that Sally hadn't already told him was true or false.

"There's a list in there." Sally informed him, now out of her trance. "Of the few vampires we know of by name and where they were last seen."

Quatre looked over the names, noticing that many were crossed out. He could only guess that those vampires had perished in some way. There were few left and he quickly looked for the only name he knew, but there was nothing. He looked to Sally, who was once again in the book she had been first occupied with when he had arrived. He cleared his throat to get her attention and she looked up at him, a bit miffed.

"Sorry to interrupt, but might I ask if you know of a vampire named Duo?"

"Duo?" She asked, Quatre nodding. "No, I'm sorry. I've only encountered one vampire in my lifetime and I don't quite remember his name. It was on my trip to Europe, when I first entered the practice. In Spain, I had been walking that night and came across a peculiar man. It was only when his eyes caught mine that I knew he was a Nightwalker. Before I could even think about running, I was caught in his arms and his green eyes were staring at me with hunger that gripped me with a fear I had never felt. I knew I was going to die and there was no escaping it."

"What happened?"

"Well I didn't die that's for sure. He decided to spare me. Though it was because he knew what I was as much as I knew what he was. Vampires and Witches share an old alliance, one that is fading but is still followed by a few. It's more of a mutual agreement really. We just leave each other alone."

"Oh."

As the two fell into silence again, Quatre took to eyeing the list of names, just in case he had overlooked Duo's. His name wasn't there, that was easy enough to see. He felt Sally's eyes on him and he looked up with a questioning gaze. She only lifted her hand, motioning that he hand her the book. She looked down at it, her eyebrows knitting together.

"Huh." She said, reaching for a pen. "Most of these vampires are long gone. It's been a while since any of these names had been crossed off."

With one last look of the list, she handed it back to Quatre, whose eyes narrowed in to the remaining names. Or rather, the remaining name.

"Trowa Barton." He read aloud, Sally knocking her fist against the desk.

"That was his name." She said with a small smirk. "Trowa Barton. Nice guy, if you like the silent types."

"The night you met him he was alone?"

Sally shrugged.

"For all I know. He was going to kill me. I had no time to ask him if he was a creator or a child, or even if he had picked up a stray. I would say he was alone and had been recently made so. I could read his loss."

"You said he had green eyes?" Quatre asked again.

"Yes." Sally answered, her eyes going out of focus as she delved into memory. "Green eyes, auburn hair, weird haircut, but he was powerful. I could feel it; I wasn't sure why I could. Those eyes of his held the wisdom of millennia. He's what we know as an ancient, the only ancient. We don't know what point of time he's from though, he won't reveal it."

Quatre watched as Sally was drawn off into the past, her eyes blank as she slowly sat back into her chair. He was to say the least a bit curious about this "ancient" vampire. If he was as old as Sally claimed he was, then Quatre was sure that he knew about other vampires. He was after all part of the starting line. He watched Sally continue to stare off in her daze before he slammed the book closed to get her out of it. She started, her eyes refocusing before she turned to Quatre again, almost as if he had only just walked in the room.

"This Trowa, you've stayed in contact with him haven't you?"

His question, he found, had caused Sally to go into a trance again and he quickly shouted her name to get her out of it. She started again, her face frowning as she glared up at Quatre.

"You've stayed in contact?" The blond witch repeated.

"I've spoken to him once after our encounter. Three years ago to be precise." She finally provided.

"Does he have any fledglings?" Quatre asked hopefully.

His hope was lost as Sally sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not certain. It's possible that he does, however, he would not tell and I did not ask. My only questions were concerning the vampires on the list. I found out they were all dead, driven to madness and killing themselves or the victims of another vampires folly."

"And it took you three years to cross out their names?" Quatre asked incredulously.

"I'm a busy witch, Quatre." Sally told him, both answering the question and bringing the conversation to an end. "Is there anything else you need?"

Quatre contemplated for a moment. His hands opened the book again to the name list that now held only one that had yet to be crossed off. Trowa Barton was probably the help he needed. If he could find him, then it would be the first step.

"Where is he?" He asked suddenly and Sally sighed in exasperation.

"First, you don't believe they exist and now you're off looking for them." She muttered, standing up and circling the desk until she had reached Quatre.

Taking hold of his shoulders, she leaned in close enough so that the two girls who were working could not overhear.

"I wouldn't advise that you go looking for this particular Nightwalker." She warned, feeling Quatre's shoulder slump under her hold. "I'm sure that if you find him he'd spare you if you gave him my name. However, I would rather you forget this newborn obsession with that particular group of the Undead. A young witch like you can get yourself in trouble that I or the rest of the coven will not be able to help you with."

Quatre listened carefully to every word Sally said and took it seriously. He was pretty sure that everything she had told him was for his benefit, but he needed to know. His blue eyes looked to her and he gave her a pleading look.

"Please, Sally." He begged, the woman sighing. "I just want to ask him a few questions."

"Fine." Sally gave in, walking back to her desk. "It's your funeral."

She grabbed up the pen and a post-it pad, scribbling something down quickly. When she was finished, she slammed the pen back down onto the desk and ripped the post-it free. Turning back to Quatre, she took hold of his wrist in one hand while shoving the square of yellow paper into his palm with the other.

"There. Are you satisfied?" She asked him, obviously upset. "Now if you'll excuse me, I was actually working before you came in."

Quatre watched her walk back to the desk, seating herself in her chair and returning to the book she had been trying to read before the younger witch had walked in. Not wanting to upset her any further, Quatre turned to leave.

"Quatre."

He looked back over his shoulder, the woman's face now holding concern.

"I don't like what you're doing." She admitted. "But I know I can't stop you. So just be careful, okay?"

Quatre nodded, before holding up the book he held in his hand.

"May I borrow this?"

Sally only waved him away, Quatre taking that as a yes. He left looking down at the address on the yellow post it, seeing that it wasn't that far away. Well, it was still in New York at least. It was late morning now, he'd head out in search of this vampire at early evening.

xoxoxox

"Okay, now tell it to me again. From the top."

Wufei sighed as he sat in the chair in front of the amazingly handsome Detective Marquise. He let his eyes fall to the floor, knowing that his voice would never work if he kept staring at the blond god in front of him. He had been telling this story over and over since he got here and he was a bit tired of repeating it. Though he wouldn't verbally reveal that. The two woman that were with them hovered over him on either side of him and they were quite intimidating. He had been careful not to say anything that would anger them, since it seemed safe enough to say that if there was such a thing as "good cop, bad cop" the latter fit true to them both.

"Wufei?"

The call of his name brought his attention and eyes up to the blond detective and he felt his voice stick in his throat as he found crystal blue eyes locked with his. His heart was now pounding and he willed himself to calm down. If he began acting nervous it wouldn't help him in the slightest. It might be read as him trying to hide the truth rather than crushing on an officer of the law.

"Mr. Chang, we're waiting."

He looked up to the blond woman, feeling as if he shrank a few feet in size as the woman towered over him. She scared him more than the other.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I'm just a bit tired of repeating it."

"This would be the last time." Zechs said, arms folding across his chest. "I promise, I just need you to tell it again so I can try and piece things together."

Wufei nodded, before taking a deep breath.

"I left my uncle's shop, I wasn't really sure of the time; I just knew that it was late. I usually reach the train station in five minutes, maybe more if I'm not in a rush. Before I entered the Van Wyck Boulevard station, I got a call, so I answered it. The conversation didn't take too long, probably a minute or two. After hanging up I went down and refilled my Metrocard."

"Your Metrocard." Zechs interrupted. "Did you get a receipt?"

"I always do." Wufei told him with a shrug. "Why?"

"Metrocard receipts record the time of transaction. Would you happen to have it on you?"

Wufei shrugged with a shake of his head.

"Is it at home?" The blue-haired woman asked.

"Yeah, it should be." Wufei said with another shrug. "I can check when I go home today. If I find it, I'll bring it back to the station first chance that I get."

Zechs smiled, happy that the boy was cooperating. Then again, was he too eager to cooperate? It could be that he was going along so well because he was trying to hide something. He let it be pushed aside for the moment; his mind was working too hard.

"Go on."

"Right, so uh I didn't see the three muggers until I turned around. They were all surrounding me, but it was the tall guy with the green eyes that did most of the talking."

Noin handed him a mug shot, pointing down at the guy.

"Joseph Fatone." She provided.

"Yeah, him. So anyway, he kind of told me to hand over anything I had and I told him I didn't have anything. That's when he suggested that I uh, that he would. . . He told me I was pretty for a boy. I figured what he was homing in on when he wrapped his arm around my waist, so I pushed him away. But I knocked into the big guy and then they closed in on me. My jacket was searched first and then my pants pocket, the small guy got my cellphone. Before it got any further I kneed Joseph in the groin and hit my head against the big guy's nose and when he let me go I made a run for it. I didn't get very far, they caught up with me. They uh, pushed me chest down against the benches."

Zechs watched as Wufei paused, almost wanting to go over and physically comfort the boy as he began to slightly tremble. He smothered that thought before it could grow into anything else. He was aware that his body was acting on overtime to the boy's presence. He was successful in showing otherwise or else he would have been gaining many a glare from the two women that were now intensely studying their only witness and suspect.

"Wufei?"

At the call of his name, Wufei looked to the detective, snapping out of whatever it was he had just put himself in.

"Sorry about that." He apologized. "Where was I?"

"They held you down to a bench?" Zechs asked to start the boy again.

"Yeah, they pushed me chest down against it."

"How did they hold you?"

Noin's question brought Wufei to another stop and she apologized for the interruption.

"Were they all holding you down or just one of them? Where were their hands?"

Zechs watched as Wufei shuddered and he felt the urge to comfort him rise again. He had no idea what it was about this young man, but he wanted nothing more than to protect him. Ebony eyes connected with his and it confirmed everything. He was not the one to believe in "love at first sight" and he wasn't sure if what he was feeling could be classified as love at the moment. However, something was drawing him to this stranger and he found no desire to fight that pull. The feeling of being watched drew him from obsidian pools and he found Noin looking to him with a slight frown.

"Mr. Chang?"

Une's impatient tone drew Wufei's eyes from Zechs to the intimidating woman to his right. She glared down at him through the lens of her glasses and she seemed to be annoyed with his stall.

"They all held me down." He slowly started. "I'm not sure who but someone was covering my mouth. Someone else had my hands held behind my back and Joseph held my head down."

At the last words, Noin gave a sound of confirmation to a suspicion that only she pondered.

"Go on." She urged, leaving his side to place herself on the couch.

"I was fighting them until Joseph pulled the knife out and held it to my neck."

"And according to what you told us that's as far as those three got, am I right?"

"Yeah."

"That's when the mysterious man in black came to your rescue." Une finished for him, her sarcasm and disbelief weighing heavy on her words.

Wufei nodded meekly as he looked in Une's direction. He could tell that she didn't believe most, if she believed any, of the words that came out of his mouth. He couldn't blame her either, here he was the only suspect and he was telling of a mystery savior who he couldn't even describe. This was odd, because he saw the face vividly in his mind.

"Mr. Chang!"

Une's harsh voice snapped him to attention and he looked to her, the woman glaring down at him. Whatever it was she was about to say next was cut short by the door to the office opening and all four occupants of the room looked in its direction. There stood Melissa with an annoyed look on her face and behind was the voice of a man who was obviously causing a commotion.

"What's wrong, Melissa?" Zechs asked her, the woman pouting.

"There's a reporter here to see you." She announced, the three officer's groaning. "He says you arranged to meet him."

"I'm busy.", Zechs argued, but Melissa shook her head.

"I already informed him." She continued. "However, he just turned to blackmail; something about pictures of police brutality. Please, can you just come out here and calm him down?"

The glaring eyes of his two current partners were burning holes into him, but he just couldn't ignore Melissa's pouting. He nodded, his hands rising to massage his temples. This was going to be a long day. Melissa smiled triumphantly before she left closing the door behind her. With her gone, he looked to Wufei, who was still shrinking under Une's intimidating form. He made his way over, gently moving the time bomb out of the way and offering Wufei his hand.

"Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Chang." He said as Wufei stood. "I'm sorry to have to cut this short. Do you mind terribly if we reschedule?"

Wufei only shook his head as he shook the detective's hand. He was feeling almost giddy that the man was touching him, but he hid it well enough.

"You can't be serious." Une objected. "You're letting him go?"

Zechs merely looked to her with a look that said "not now" before he was leading Wufei to the door.

"Let's say the day after tomorrow, same time?"

Wufei merely nodded, his voice unable to work at the moment as Zechs was smiling at him. As the detective opened the door, the reporter's loud shouting broke Wufei from his swooning and he cleared his throat, bowing his head to hide his blush.

"I'll see you then." Were his words of good bye and he left, avoiding the reporter that was animatedly protesting.

Zechs watched him go, admiring the jean-clad ass for a second time. When the boy was gone he looked back to Noin and Une, both women ready to attack him. It was best that he leave and let their anger die out.

"I kind of have to deal with this guy, see you in a bit."

With those rushed words he left, closing the door on a slew of shouted and improper words that would have put the reporter to shame.

xoxoxox

Quatre glanced up at the large house that his car now stood in front of. The sun had already left the sky, though the colors of pink and orange still peeked over the horizon. He had managed to make it here, after three u-turns and a few moments of gaining his confidence. He knew what he was getting into, that to step inside of that house left him no choice of turning back. He could turn back now, walk away and pretend as if nothing happened. That however wasn't really an option. If he turned back now, he had a feeling that it meant leaving Wufei, as well as himself, in danger.

With a deep breath, Quatre opened the door and slowly climbed out, his eyes locked on the house the entire time. Just by sight alone, you couldn't tell that the one that lived there wasn't of mere mortal status and even average mortals couldn't sense it. However, _he_ could and it caused every hair on his body to stand on end. His body as well as mind was aware of the danger and he was once again struggling with the thought of fleeing. With his jaw clenched he walked away from his car and was heading his way to the front door. Before he could hesitate, he rang the bell and once that was done, he felt his heart beginning to hammer. He had come to realize what he was doing. He was willingly entering the lion's den, willingly giving this vampire the choice of using him as prey.

He froze as he heard the door unlock and as it slowly swung open he was greeted by the sight of an old man. His face frowned in confusion, as he had expected someone younger. Perhaps there was some secret of vampires that Sally had not provided him with.

"Are you Trowa Barton?" He asked cautiously.

"No, I'm merely Master Barton's butler." The man answered, raising an eyebrow at Quatre's sigh of relief. "Is the Master expecting you?"

"No, but I have something of great importance to speak with him about." He explained, the old man nodding. "My name's Quatre Winner."

He moved aside, holding the door open wider and indicating for Quatre to enter. He did so, smiling in thanks to the old man. He was greeted with a large grand staircase a few feet away from the door and to either side of him were the halls that seemed to go on. He was aware of the antique furniture that peppered the hallway where he stood, noting that the designs were fashioned after many different periods of time. For all he knew, they probably were from those eras.

As he slowly looked around, he was unaware of the presence that now stood at the top of the stairs. That is, not until the man spoke.

"And who do we have here?"

At the sound of the voice Quatre looked to the top of the staircase where a young man now stood. He was dressed in casual attire of simple black slacks and a white shirt, though his skin was nearly as pale as the shirt itself. Sharp blue eyes stared down at Quatre with the intent to study and gain answers without words. Quatre could feel him reading his mind and he warded him off quickly, so quickly that the man frowned at the gesture.

"There's a visitor for Master Barton." The butler announced. "Might you know where he is?"

"He's still resting, but I'll go and wake him." The young man answered, his eyes never leaving the newcomer. "Our guest can wait for him in the study."

Quatre looked away from those blue eyes, unsure of what he was able to read from them. The creature in front of him couldn't be human. Now there was another question on his mind. Could this young man be Trowa's child?

"This way, sir." The butler called, gaining Quatre's attention.

With one last look to the creature at the top of the stairs Quatre quickly followed, not wanting to be left alone in the same room as him. He was led down the hallway to his left and to a door that was partly closed. The butler entered first and he followed, his eyes coming in contact with a large bookcase that was propped against the right wall.

"If you'll have a seat, the Master will be right with you."

Thanking the man, Quatre watched him leave closing the door behind him. He was aware that he was now alone and if anything was to happen to him, no one would know. However, he would have to push these new insecurities aside. He gained interest in the bookshelf, the books shelved within it seemed ancient; older than the books that Sally had shown him. With caution he stepped toward it, his eyes searching over the covers. There were no titles on most of them and those that held titles were written in a language he didn't recognize. Curious fingers reached out to touch one but the sudden presence of another made him pause.

"I wouldn't advise that you touch those."

At the voice Quatre lowered his hand, turning his head to look over his shoulder. A man, he could only assume was Trowa Barton stood across the room at a desk, his sharp green eyes watching Quatre with indifference.

"What are they?" Quatre asked, turning to fully face him.

"Books."

"What are they ab-"

"All that's contained inside of those books is none of your concern."

At the sharp remark Quatre fell silent. He didn't want to anger the creature in front of him; he needed to have his questions answered as soon as possible. The sooner that happened, the sooner he'd be able to leave. He figured he'd start off with making sure that the vampire in front of him was indeed the one he was looking for.

"Are you Trowa Barton?" He asked.

The vampire gave a faint hint of a smile, before signaling Quatre to take a seat. The blond young man did as was suggested, walking forward and seating himself in a leather chair placed in front of the desk. All the while he studied Trowa as best as he could. He was dressed similar to the young man from before, though his shirt was a dark green. His skin was just as pale as the other vampire, but his eyes were what got Quatre's attention most. Those hidden memories of centuries.

"Who sent you here?"

"No one." He answered, watching Trowa raise an eyebrow. "I came of my own free will."

"A spellbinder does not visit the Undead of his own free will. They must have sent you to see if I have perished."

Quatre slowly shook his head and Trowa, now intrigued, drew closer. He sat himself on the desk directly in front of the young witch, his green eyes burning into blue. This young witch was blocking him, his intentions hidden behind witchcraft. It would seem that he would only learn what the young man wanted him to know.

"Who gave you my name?"

He gave that question since Quatre claimed that he was not sent here by his elders. Someone had to have given the boy his name and it was in his right to know who. And whoever it was, friend or foe, they would hear from him.

"Sally Po." Quatre answered meekly. "She said to give your name if there was trouble."

Trowa froze, his eyes widening ever so slightly at the name. Sally. He remembered her, the witch from long ago.

"We met one night in Spain." He muttered out loud, his eyes drifting from Quatre to stare off in to space.

It was as if he was seeing it all again so clearly, and perhaps he was. Quatre could do nothing but watch as Trowa lost himself in memories, sitting absolutely still so as not to disturb him at all. He was beginning to grow very uncomfortable when the vampire finally returned his gaze on him, a new sense of wonder in his eyes.

"You are her apprentice?" He asked with a smile and Quatre shrugged.

"Well she teaches me spells and the like if that's what you mean."

His body tensed as Trowa rose from his place on the desk, pushing pack into the padded chair as the vampire walked closer. A pale hand reached out for him and Quatre clenched his eyes shut unwillingly, not sure as to what was to happen now. He flinched at the brush of cold fingers on his cheek, but was aware that they were quickly removed.

His eyes opened to find Trowa looking down at burnt fingers in slight awe, before those mesmerizing orbs were on Quatre once again.

"Protected by her magic." He said with the faintest hint of a laugh, his skin healing instantly. "I should have known."

He walked back behind his desk to seat himself in the leather padded chair that was placed behind it, all the while his face holding a smile.

"Even though we are bound by oath, she still doesn't trust me." He muttered, more to himself than to Quatre. "Then again who can blame her? Vampires are no strangers to betrayal."

He leaned forward on his desk, his fingers locking as he folded his hands. This time when his eyes met Quatre's, the young witch could feel the vampire easily passing by his wards. Quatre knew that Trowa was reading his every thought. He wouldn't allow it, so it was with much effort that he blocked the vampire out, Trowa chuckling as he found the young blond glaring at him.

"Forgive me." He apologized sincerely. "I could not resist. You're so eager to hide your true intentions from me. I believe that I am not the first vampire that you have met."

He watched Quatre nod in agreement with him and he leaned back in to his chair, letting his hands unfold and rest gracefully on the armrests.

"I'm interested to say the least. Tell me your story of this vampire."

Quatre watched as Trowa silently sat and waited for him to begin. He had no idea how to begin. Should he start with Wufei or with the vampire himself? He figured it best to start with his younger friend.

"My friend came to me the other night." He started slowly, his eyes focusing on the reddish-brown wood of the desk. "He told me that he had had an encounter. He was attacked by three men who were going to hurt him, maybe even kill him."

"But?" Trowa interrupted, his eyes locked onto the blond witch.

"He says he was saved. His attackers were killed by a man that had intervened. My friend claimed he was a vampire."

"And you didn't believe him did you?" Trowa observed, Quatre bowing his head almost as if ashamed. "Not until he endangered Wufei's life."

Quatre's eyes looked up to the banged vampire, about to ask how he knew Wufei's name, but Trowa's smirk answered everything for him. He had simply gathered it from Quatre's mind earlier.

"You know the rest." He said, his voice holding annoyance. "You obviously read enough of my mind to know why I'm here."

"Yes." Trowa admitted with a laugh. "However, the vampire I could not see. Nor could I hear his name in your memories. That you must provide me with if you wish to learn if I know him."

Quatre hesitated at first, his eyes still glaring back at Trowa. Said vampire sat quietly waiting for the young man to provide him with a name. His body sitting so still that Quatre soon began to wonder if the man that sat in front of him was real at all. Before his mind could wander further, he brought himself back to the subject at hand.

"His name is Duo Maxwell."

Trowa's reaction of shock would have been caught, but being that Quatre's eyes were focused on the floor instead of the vampire he had time to regain his calm demeanor. What Quatre did find when he glanced up was that Trowa was now staring off blankly into space yet again, the same way he had done earlier when Quatre had mentioned Sally's name. Did Trowa know of Duo Maxwell? If the answer was yes, then how?

"Duo Maxwell?"

The second voice came from behind him and Quatre turned to find Heero seated upright on a couch against the wall near the entrance. How long had he been listening in? His blue eyes were centered on Quatre and the young witch felt that Heero's reaction confirmed his suspicions. There was something these two knew about this Duo Maxwell and he now wanted to find out what it was.

"Do you know him?"

Heero seemed to want to answer, but Quatre saw when his eyes glanced past him and Heero visibly shrank. He turned to look back to Trowa, the vampire now standing with fierce eyes on what Quatre could only guess was his child.

"What are you hiding?" Quatre asked him, Trowa turning those angered eyes on him.

He didn't back down, though he felt every hair on his body stand on end. If he ran now, he would never know. Trowa seemed to calm as time slowly passed and he apologized to Heero and Quatre both.

"I have heard this name before." Trowa answered, returning to his seat and seeming as if he was suddenly wearied. "However, I have never crossed paths with him."

It was lie, or so Quatre thought but he knew better than to push the subject. Perhaps he could go about this another way?

"What have you heard about him?"

Trowa gave a soft laugh and leaned back into his chair. This young witch was as curious as his teacher. He knew that the young man would only ask questions and if he left here even the slightest bit unsatisfied, he would return. Trowa mentally shrugged. Let him return if he wished to, he would learn nothing much and secretly he wouldn't mind the company.

"As much as you have." He answered finally and he watched Quatre visibly sulk.

"I haven't heard anything." The blond admitted. "I came here because I figured you'd know. You're the last of an ancient line. You're the oldest living vampire. You have to know something; anything!"

Trowa gave the boy a polite smile before he stood, gracefully making his way to where Quatre sat. He went to put a hand on his shoulder, but he paused remembering Sally's ward. He pulled his hand back letting it fall to his side and he looked down at Quatre's disappointed expression.

"The only thing I know, or rather choose to know, is that I am now the oldest vampire. I have lived through history and I have watched time go by without much interference. I am satisfied with what knowledge I possess, as little as you may think it is. It is all I need, along with my child."

Quatre looked back to the couch where Heero was sitting, or rather, would have been sitting. For just as silently as he had entered the room, he had slipped away.

"Heero's your child then?" Quatre asked though he already knew the answer. "Is he your only one?"

"He is the last I will ever make." Trowa admitted, almost sadly. "I await the day he will finally leave me, allowing me to quietly take my leave from this world."

Quatre's eyes widened at the news. What could he mean? Was Trowa going to do like the rest and disappear forever?

"Why?" He blurted out and Trowa shrugged.

"Why not?" He countered, slowly making his way to the bookshelf Quatre had shown interest in earlier.

His long pale fingers reached out to lightly brush over the spine of various books, his fingernails gleaming in the dim lighting of the study. He stopped suddenly at a book with its cover made of leather. He pulled it free, leafing through the pages calmly as Quatre sat and watched him.

"Do you still wish to know what they are?" He asked, his eyes never leaving the book in his hand.

Quatre said nothing, though he watched Trowa intently with a frown marring his face. He was upset at the vampire's sudden news. He had only just found this creature and he learned he was to be gone from this world sooner or later. It wasn't fair. There were questions that he was hoping to have answered that he knew well enough he would not get from Sally.

"You're upset with me." Trowa observed, replacing the book on the shelf. "So is Heero."

"I don't blame him. Why would you throw your life away?"

"Why would I live for centuries more when I have lived far longer than any other?" Trowa retorted and Quatre stood.

"You're being selfish!" Quatre cried out, new found anger trailing his words.

Trowa was intrigued by his rage. This boy had barely met him and yet here he was speaking to him with words his own child had spoken.

"And why does it concern you, Spellbinder?" Trowa asked gently, watching Quatre's face contort with confusion. "How would such a decision such as this affect _you_? So I feel it is my time to rid this earth of my presence and you answer me with anger? You oppose me and accuse me of being selfish. Do you wish me to stay, Quatre?"

Yes. The answer was so plain in Quatre's mind and he wanted to speak it, but he wouldn't allow himself to. He himself was confused as to what had brought on this new fascination with the undead, or rather this particular Nightwalker in front of him. He tried his best to understand, but no matter how much he thought about it he could not figure out why. Could it be that in this short space of time, he had found a teacher that would provide him with details Sally so often held back?

"Do you not think yourself selfish for wanting me to stay so that you may learn what I can teach you?"

Trowa's question caught him off guard and he stumbled for an answer. He quickly shut his mouth when he could not find one and he looked away from Trowa to the now open door, where Heero stood intensely gazing at him from the hallway. In the blink of an eye the younger vampire was gone, though Quatre felt that he was close enough to hear every word he and Trowa exchanged.

"It's past sunset." Trowa announced when Quatre did not provide him with an answer. "Do you think it wise to leave your friend out in the open? If this Duo claims to want him, he will never stop in his efforts to receive him."

Wufei. He had almost forgotten. He looked to Trowa wanting to say something else but not quite sure what he could say. Trowa only smiled to him, his green eyes growing sharper.

"I will be here again tomorrow night if you wish to speak with me." Trowa told him moving to the window, "I will not disappear, though you must take your leave. Wufei will need your protection. Wesley will show you out."

It was almost as if the old man knew his name would be called, for he appeared at the door patiently waiting for Quatre to follow him.

"Until tomorrow night." Trowa said in parting and Quatre only nodded in agreement.

Without a word he left the study, following obediently behind the butler. A glance back in to the room showed him that it was empty, Trowa had already left. He was taken to the entrance where he thanked Wesley for his service and was left alone in front of the grand staircase. He glanced up to the landing, almost expecting Heero to be standing there again, but it was empty. With a feeling of dissatisfaction, he made his way to the door. He was only able to grab hold of the doorknob when he felt the unmistakable feeling of another presence. He released the door, turning back to the grand staircase to find Heero watching down at him.

The two kept silent; there were no need for words. Quatre had an inkling that it was curiosity that drew Heero's attention to him, the same way it drew his to Trowa. Two pair of blue eyes studied each other, the room still with silence. It was broken by the sound of a door opening and closing somewhere in the house.

"Why do you stare at me?" Quatre asked, Heero's eyes never leaving his. "What do you want from me?"

He gained no answer and as he waited, it would seem that Heero would not provide him with one. With much effort, since he really didn't want to turn his back on this man, Quatre faced the door and opened it ready to step out. He was startled when it was slammed shut and he looked to find Heero now beside him, a hand on the door to stop him from leaving. Heero's face was devoid of any expression, sharp blue eyes narrowed on the young witch. His silence was unnerving to Quatre and he tried his best to open the door, but it would seem that vampires were stronger than expected. Then again he should have known that already, he had watched Duo crush his bat in his fist. He flinched as Heero reached out his free hand for him and though he would have run he couldn't; he seemed glued to the spot. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he did know that Heero did not mean to harm him. However, he was under wards that had stopped Trowa from touching him.

"Wait." Quatre warned, Heero pausing for only a second. "You'll be...hurt."

He was shocked to find that Heero's hand rested on his cheek without as much as a burn. It would seem that Sally had put the spell to protect him specifically from Trowa. She probably had forgotten that he would not be alone.

"What I want from you, Spellbinder, you will not be so eager to provide me with." Heero finally responded, his other hand leaving the door to take hold of Quatre's face. "And even if you were willing, you are unable to give it."

"What could you possibly want?" Quatre asked, feeling his body relax.

He watched Heero begin to speak, but stop at the sound of the door from earlier opening and closing once again. He let the blond go, with reluctance it would seem, and he stepped back a few paces.

"To learn more of your kind." He admitted."Of your witchcraft, your practice, but it would seem that now is not the time."

Unsure of what to answer, Quatre merely nodded before opening the door and leaving the house. Heero watched him leave, his arms crossed as he stood by the door. He was aware that he was being watched and he didn't have to look to know that his Master had returned.

"It is forbidden, Heero."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"What you desire goes against the oath." The younger vampire was reminded.

Heero began to walk away, not wanting to have this conversation with Trowa at the present moment. He was already upset as it was, there was no way he would allow himself to be made any angrier.

"I know you want him, Heero."

Trowa's words stopped him in his tracks and he turned blazing eyes back to his sire that now stood directly behind him.

"You know nothing of what I want!" He spat angrily before turning away.

He was gone in the next moment, leaving Trowa standing alone at the foot of the stairs. He was used to Heero's anger by now, his fledgling had been angry with him since he learned of his Master's intentions. He was unfamiliar however with the feeling of his heart sinking at the acknowledgement that Heero now wanted another child of his own. He pushed the feeling aside at the brush of a familiar presence. With the appearance of the young witch, old memories had risen from his mind and now he was concerned. He would have to get in contact with a friend of his to be sure. If anyone knew of rouge vampires it would be her.

T.B.C.

Oi, I seem to be growing a plot. So anyway, I'd really like to know what you think. It'll help if you inform whether or not I should continue. Okie dokie then, I'll be seeing you.


	5. Chapter 4

Author's Note: You people actually want me to go on with this, so I shall. I'm starting to enjoy myself when I write this thing. Who knew writing this kind of stuff would be fun?

xoxoxox

Wufei had made it home safely enough. At least he had made it home fast enough to reach before it was completely dark. He had thought of returning to Quatre's, but when he had called his friend from a pay phone, he received no answer. His friend wasn't home. He couldn't quite explain it but there was something about the older man's apartment that comforted him. Lately, he'd felt as if he was always watched, as if something was waiting to happen. As if he was in sudden danger. He also observed that when he was in Quatre's apartment that feeling seemed to fade and he knew that he was protected from whatever it was out there.

Violet eyes flashed in his memory, along with the events of the other night and Wufei shook his head to free him of those thoughts. The thoughts left swiftly only to be replaced with more recent happenings. Wufei felt his cheeks burn at the way he had basically allowed the vampire to have his way with him. It was embarrassing to say the least. His hand reached up to his neck, caressing the area that should have held a scar. He had checked earlier however, and he found no marks at all.

The phone rang and he was startled by the shrill of it in the deafening silence of his apartment. With a calming breath he headed to his bedroom, lifting the phone off of its base. The caller id revealed it to be a blocked number, giving him reason to answer it cautiously.

"Hello?"

"_Wufei, it's Quatre. I'm glad that you're home._"

"Is something wrong?" Wufei asked, his bout of nervousness leaving. "You sound kind of shaken."

"_In all honesty, I wouldn't even now how to start answering that question._"

"Are you on your way here?"

Wufei began removing his coat, dropping it onto the bed and leaving his bedroom to head for the kitchen. He opened his fridge and peeked in, not the least bit surprised to find it was empty. He hadn't done shopping at all this week and was beginning to doubt that he ever would get around to it.

"_Yes, I am. Promise me that you'll keep still._"

The tone in Quatre's voice caused Wufei to frown. He knew that his friend worried, but now it seemed that Quatre was scared. Did he tell Quatre about the vampire? Had Quatre believed him?

"Quatre?"

"_I can't stay long. I'm driving and I don't want to risk a ticket. Don't go anywhere. Promise me._"

"I promise." Wufei said, though he didn't really know why.

"_Good. Give me ten minutes the most and I'll be there._"

There was a faint click and Quatre was gone, leaving Wufei flabbergasted and wondering. He couldn't quite remember much of what he and Quatre talked about last night. It was hazy, he had been drunk of course. Needless to say, the fear that had been lying under Quatre's words were convincing enough. He had most likely warned Quatre about the vampire. Now his friend was probably trying his best to make sure that he and the vampire never met up.

He stopped then at another revelation. Had Quatre met the man last night? He was in Quatre's apartment. Perhaps Quatre had heard them talking and had come to check on him? Was his friend all right? His thoughts were cut short abruptly by the phone and he looked down to the small screen. It was a blocked number once again. He answered it without a second thought, assuming that it was Quatre. He was terribly mistaken by the new and yet familiar voice that greeted him.

"_Tell me that you're alone._"

Wufei's heartbeat rose in speed as the voice spoke to him. He wasn't so sure what to answer, why would they need to know that he was alone. Who was this anyway?

"Who is this?" He asked, his voice small and soft spoken.

He wasn't sure how but he could sense the person on the line smiling in amusement.

"_Don't you remember me?_" The man asked him, feigning hurt. "_I remember you._"

The man chuckled and Wufei felt his eyes slide close in remembrance, his mind seeing the creature clearly.

"_The feel of you._" The creature continued, Wufei gasping at the memory of those hands. "_The taste of you._"

Wufei's eyes snapped open as a hand reached to his neck, caressing the skin in a protective manner. He had been bitten last night and even now he felt it, even though there was no proof that the deed had been done.

"What do you want from me?" He asked, suddenly upset.

His anger could be heard in his voice and the man on the other end only chuckled again, another shudder running through Wufei's body.

"_I do hope you're alone._" The vampire carried on, ignoring Wufei's question for the moment. "_It would be a shame to run in to your friend again._"

His friend? Then Quatre had run into him. It made him wonder what had happened, wonder if Quatre had been hurt, if the vampire had fed on him as well. His mind was put at ease at the vampire's next words.

"_The way he fought to protect you, I would not risk another encounter with him._"

He heard his apartment door open and he left the kitchen, his wide eyes looking to the door to find Quatre walking in. The blond noticed the questioning look on Wufei's face and he felt the need to explain his access into the younger boy's home.

"Spare key, remember?" Quatre asked holding it up. "You gave it to me last month in case you lost yours."

Quatre paused as he studied Wufei completely. His younger friend was scared and it would seem that something was holding him in that fear. The Nightwalker, it was suddenly clear to him. His eyes connected with the phone and he rushed forward, snatching it away from him with a jerk that startled Wufei out of his temporary stupor. With the phone now in his possession, Quatre put it to his ear finding only silence. He looked to Wufei for an explanation but the boy said nothing, only stared back at him with wide, confused eyes.

"_Spellbinder._"

The name caused him to stiffen and he focused his attention to the caller. How had he gotten Wufei's number?

"What do you want with him?" Quatre asked, his voice trembling.

"_Watch him closely, Spellbinder. The moment you look away is the moment he'll be mine._"

The dial tone was the signal that Duo was gone and Quatre hung up the phone, his hand shaking. He looked to Wufei who was now looking out of a window. He followed the direction in which ebony eyes were looking and connected with well-known violet. Duo was watching from the fire escape of another building, a smile fitting his face as he waved at the two. Quatre rushed forward, closing the venetian blinds as a string of words escaped his mouth. He had warded Wufei's place, knowing damn well that Duo would have attempted to come in. He couldn't risk leaving the apartment open to the vampire's entrance. He turned to his friend then, finding Wufei's face devoid of any emotion though his eyes were riddled with them.

He walked closer, taking hold of Wufei's shoulder and guiding him back to the couch. The boy was a bit shaken by the turn of events and he himself had to admit that it had shaken him as well. When the boy was seated, Quatre knelt in front of him, coaxing the boy to look him in the eye and preparing himself with words he could say to explain all this to the boy. Though he himself barely knew anything that he could explain.

"Does he want to kill me?" Wufei asked before Quatre could even begin.

Quatre only shrugged, though he an idea of what exactly Duo had planned for his ebony-haired friend.

"Who's to say what he really wants?" Was all he could manage.

There was a flash of emotion that ran through dark eyes and Quatre studied it as long he could. Fear was the main feeling and it was only natural that Wufei was scared. The second however was excitement. Somewhere deep down inside, Wufei was willing to give himself up freely, but that urge was being fought. It allowed the blond man to breathe a bit more easily. He took hold of Wufei's hands, which were still trembling slightly, and he squeezed them comfortingly.

"I promise you that I will never let him take you." Quatre felt the need to promise, though he wasn't entirely sure if he would be able to keep it. "I'll protect you even if it kills me."

_I believe that it will, Spellbinder._

Duo was still close by, easily listening in and the young witch had the odd feeling of being watched. How the vampire was doing so, with the blinds closed, was a mystery. He brushed it off, ignoring the presence for the time being. Duo could watch and wait for the opportune moment as long as he wanted to. Quatre would never give him the opportunity to snatch Wufei out from under him.

xoxoxox

Long after the interrogation was over, Detective Marquise sat at his desk with the young suspect on his mind. He wasn't sure how and why, but he had believed in some way every word that Wufei had told him. He had not voiced his opinion to the two women who were now upset with him for letting Wufei leave so easily. That would have only upset them even more which in turn would have ended with Zechs physically and egotistically bruised. So, he kept that tid bit of information to himself.

There was something about Wufei that Zechs was attracted to, something other than the boy's ass, which he had grown very fond of. It was something entirely different, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Zechs leaned back into his chair, his mind trying to sort things out. He would sit here all night if he was given the chance; however Noin had already ordered him to go home on time tonight. And since Zechs valued his handsome face, he was going to do exactly what the woman had ordered.

As he rose from his chair with a lazy stretch, the sound of the door opening coaxed him to look toward it. He was greeted with Noin's violet eyes pinning him in his place. Eyes full of accusation and worry. He offered her a small smile and she returned it, walking closer to stop just before his desk. Something was on her mind and he knew that he wasn't going anywhere until she had told him what she had to say.

"What is it?" He asked, giving her the opportunity she was waiting for.

Her arms folded over her chest as she gave a sigh, her eyes connecting with Zechs'. She had seen how the older man had stared at their suspect, had figured out that the young boy had possibly the same attraction and since Zechs was Zechs he would pursue the boy. The man would be playing with fire at that point. Wufei was a suspect; the only suspect. There was no idea if he was innocent or not. She could tell that the blond detective's interest in the young man had caused him to so easily slip by today. If it had been any other day, her friend would have probably still had him here, questioning him into the night. This was what she had on her mind and she was about to talk some sense into him.

"You like him don't you?" She started, watching Zechs' smile fade.

It was easily replaced however, Zechs leaving behind his desk to head for his coat hanging on the back of the door. Noin followed him with her eyes, patiently awaiting his answer.

"Like who?" He asked, although he knew damn well who she was talking about.

"Mr. Chang." She simply stated, catching Zechs' miniscule pause in placing on his coat.

Zechs turned to her, giving her a shrug and heading back to his desk to pack his briefcase. He knew one of them would have noticed and though he rather that neither of them have, he was glad it was Noin. Une would not have approached him with such calm.

"He's a nice kid." He admitted, looking to her with a feigned smile. "I don't think I like him as much as you're accusing me of. Look, I have to go."

"You admitted that you were willing to sleep with him earlier. You know damn well that you like him, Marquise. Hell, I like him!"

Zechs raised an inquisitive eyebrow and Noin only scoffed.

"He's cute, okay? We're not talking about me, we're talking about you. I'm not the one daydreaming about getting into his pants."

The look Zechs gave her caused Noin to blush and she gave a frustrated growl.

"Look, can we just forget it?" She asked, Zechs trying his best not to snicker. "What I'm trying to say is that it's okay to look but don't you dare touch."

Zechs gave a scoff and he grabbed his briefcase off of the desk. Why was she so suspicious of him? He knew better than that. He had no intentions of going after Wufei. He had enough sense in his head to know that he was a detective, Wufei was his suspect, and there was no possibility of them having any kind of relationship at the present moment.

"You have nothing to worry about, Noin." He promised, though he wasn't so sure why. "I won't go anywhere near him. Besides, he's a little too young for my taste."

"What are you talking about?" Noin asked with a snort. "Just made legal is your favorite type."

"Good night, Noin." Zechs said in departure, wanting to cut this conversation short.

He left his office and friend behind, heading out of the precinct with a blush on his face. She had a point with the age thing, but that was all she was correct about. Noin had nothing to worry about; he was not going to pursue the boy until the case was over. As well as if Wufei wasn't in jail by the time that happened. He was climbing into his car now with a small smile of self-satisfaction on his face. He had complete control over himself. He would now go home and rest, and that would be the end of his day.

xoxoxox

Twenty minutes later Zechs was frowning at himself in his rear-view mirror, his car parked in front of an apartment building where a certain Asian resided. He had no idea when he had decided to come here but he had pulled out Wufei's address, which he had taken from the precinct files, and found himself in front of the boy's building. He let his head drop to his steering wheel with a groan. Perhaps Noin was right about a lot of things?

There was a tap at the window and he jumped at the sound, his head rising and looking out of it. He found bright violet eyes looking back at him and he let his window down enough to speak to the man.

"Hello, officer." The man greeted with a smile. "Looking for someone?"

Zechs frowned and shook his head, not exactly sure how the man knew he was a cop. Or why he wanted to know if Zechs was in search of anyone. As if to answer his first question, the man gestured to the dash board, where Zechs' badge rested. That would explain his knowledge of Zechs' profession, as well as his curiosity to his being here.

"You and I," The man started, straightening and turning toward the building, "we want the same thing."

Blue eyes fixed on to the long braid that swung as the man turned away from him, before they followed the stranger's gaze to a window on the third floor. He could see a silhouette and he wasn't sure how he knew, but he had a feeling it was Wufei.

"However, I want him for an entirely different reason."

Zechs was frozen as the man turned to gaze back at him, those violet eyes pinning him in place. There was something about this man that seemed not safe and his fingers itched to feel the comforting weight of his gun.

"There's no need to fear me, Detective Marquise." The man assured him. "I have no reason to harm you."

"How do you know who I am?" Zechs asked, the man shrugging.

"Were you not on the news?"

There was his answer. He nodded and the man offered him a smile of dazzling white teeth, that came as fast as it went.

"Go home, Dectective." The man advised, the tone in his voice implying that Zechs' company wasn't welcome. "These streets are dangerous at night."

Zechs wasn't so sure if that was a threat or innocent advice. He only knew that this man was sending up some red flags. Whoever this guy was, Zechs had the notion to keep an eye on him if it was possible. He started the car, the young man stepping back to allow him room enough to pull out of his parking space.

"I didn't get your name.", Zechs said, the young man smiling.

"I didn't give it.", was all he said, "And I don't intend to."

Zechs' eyebrows knitted together in a frown. That was definately something to consider. The man wasn't willing to give his name. No matter, he would learn it soon enough. He etched the face to memory before he was pulling off, leaving the man behind. He'd have a long night of sketching ahead of him, his interest had now been peaked.

Trowa lay deadly still on the stone railing of his study's balcony, his green eyes gazing up intensly at the starry night. He had found it calming when he did this, and now was definately a time he needed to be calm. His mind was swarmed with one too many things and he felt like going mad. This night had started off with much too much excitement. With the arrival of the young male witch, Heero's immediate want of said witch and then. . .there was this Duo Maxwell. His face took on a frown as the name flitted through his mind. He just wouldn't allow himself to think about it, he didn't want to know anything. Though, he was curious. He would have to wait until she arrived.

The sound of the balcony door opening caught his attention, but he didn't turn to look at who was there. He could already tell that it was Heero, the silent vampire merely looking out at him. He was probably here to apologize or demand an explanation of something or the other, but Trowa wasn't set for dealing with his fledging at the moment.

"Master.", Heero began, silent feet drawing him closer to his elder, "I'm sorry."

Trowa didn't move, nor did he say anything. He didn't react at all and he felt Heero's nevousness grow. He would let him sweat for awhile, a miniscule punishment. Heero drew even closer, so that sharp blue eyes could look down on his maker. Trowa only ignored him further, his eyes gazing past him to the stars above.

"I didn't mean to be angry.", Heero tried again, "I couldn't help it, I was-"

"Don't bother, Heero.", Trowa finally gave in, his fledging's relief evident, "I understand."

"You haven't fed.", the dark-haired vampire deducted, his finger tracing the prominent blue veins that marred his master's face, "We'll hunt together."

"Not tonight.", Trowa gently told him, his hand raising to take Heero's hand.

His fingers caressed the skin of Heero's wrist, before he brought it closer to his lips, placing a kiss there so as to feel the slow pulse that was present. He remembered when he had first taken blood from Heero, a night when he couldn't help himself. He had nearly killed him. Heero would have died if it wasn't for her. Blue eyes flashed in his memory and he closed them to better envision them, his lips still pressed against Heero's wrist. His child watched, unsure of Trowa's behavior but not willing to question. He wouldn't mind if his master drank from him, it was only that he had only fed once tonight. It had been month's since Trowa fed, he was likely to drain Heero unintentionally.

"Will you drink from me, Master?", he asked almost timidly and Trowa opened his eyes then.

He sat up, his grip still on Heero, with green eyes looking off into the distance.

"No.", he answered, finally letting him go, "I fear that I won't know how to stop."

He stood from the railing, his attention drawn toward the east, the direction of the city. Something familiar was pulling his attention there. However, he didn't dare chance going in search of it. Whatever it was, he would rather it left him alone. He looked to Heero, the younger vampire standing almost at attention and Trowa offered him a small smile.

"You're hungry still."

He meant to ask it as a question, but it was said instead as an observation. Heero only shrugged, moving closer to Trowa who returned to staring off in the distance.

"Join me, Trowa. You haven't fed in months.", he reminded him, "You'll waste away if you don't."

"No. I will feed soon enough, just leave me be for the moment. I wouldn't want you to starve because of my stubborness."

Heero merely sighed, turning away from his elder to disappear inside of the study. As soon as his fledging was gone, was the moment Trowa left as well. His entire body a shadow as he soared through the air, occasionally landing on a treetop or rooftop. His eyes narrowed on the horizon as he caught scent of the ocean, watching as the shoreline drew closer. When the dark waters of the Atlantic were churning beneath him, he plunged into its depths, his speed the same as if he were still traveling by air. He had to move quickly, where he was going, sunrise was bound to follow in a couple of hours. He needed to find her, he found that his patience had thinned the longer he thought about tonight's start.

The old man that sat in his small private chambers was startled by the sudden ringing of the old bells of the manor. He, having been used to being up at this hour to serve his mistress, had been watching the telly. However, the arrival of this late night or rather early morning guest, was rudely interrupting his viewing. He stood with an effort, brittle bones aching a bit with stiffness. Lucky for him that his room was merely a few meters away from the main doors or else he would never have made it fast enough. With his robe secured tightly around him, he made it to the front door, just as the bells rang again. He opened it up to earn himself a startled gasp, as in front of him stood a man dripping wet, his green eyes leering down at him. This face was a familiar face, a friend of the mistress who had visited on occasions.

"Master Barton, what on earth has brought you here at this hour? Have you come to England on business?", he asked confused, "Why are you soaking wet?"

"I came in search of your mistress, Douglas. Is she at home?"

The old man shook his head, dull gray eyes studying Trowa closely. The young man was deadly pale, he found. Perhaps he should offer him some tea, though he knew it was useless. Every other time that he had visited, he ate and drank nothing. The same could be said for his mistrees. He learned not to question however, it was none of his concern.

"Where has she gone?", Trowa questioned, his face frowning in confusion.

"She and her lady friend are traveling, of course.", Douglas provided, "They'll be traveling Africa for the rest of the month. You should know the mistress by now, she's never at home unless she has to be."

Trowa nodded, his disappointment evident. He had needed her to be here and she was off sight seeing. He knew of her ways, always traveling, never staying still. He had traveled with her once, but he found he was much more keen to settling down than aimlessly wandering the world.

"Shall I tell her of your visit when she arrives?"

The old man's question brought Trowa's attention back to him and the uni-banged creature merely shook his head.

"If she happens to contact you, tell her to broaden her travels to New York. Tell her that I'm waiting for her there."

Douglas nodded obediently and would have bid the young man good night, but Trowa was already walking away. Oh well, now there was time to get back to the telly. He had missed enough of his program already.

Wufei watched silently as Quatre sat on his floor, eyes closed as his lips moved slightly as if he were praying. He hadn't asked what the blond was doing even though he was curious. However, Quatre seemed to be far too engrossed at the moment, he didn't want to interrupt him. He had been asked to give the older boy some space and Wufei had opted to peeking out from the kitchenette. He had first headed toward the window which held the fire-escape but Quatre had nearly had a heart attack. He wasn't allowed outside of his apartment.

With a sigh he finally turned away from Quatre, heading towards his fridge. He stopped himself beforehand though. He had searched it more than once already, there was nothing in there. So instead he turned to the cupboards, pulling out the instant coffee and green tea. He needed to busy himself with something while he waited for his friend to stop meditating, or whatever it was he was doing. It was a few minutes later, before the kettle began to even whistle that Quatre finally entered the kitchenette, his eyes a bit distant. Wufei looked up at him in question, but the older boy only smiled.

"Tea?", he asked and Wufei nodded.

The kettle began it's shrill cry and Quatre took over, brewing both the tea and coffee. The two took it out to the living room, sitting on the couch next to each other. Wufei patiently waited for Quatre to begin. His friend wouldn't leave him in the dark too long. He knew it was on the subject of this new stranger and he would rather it just go away. As it was, Duo was persistant and his persitance seemed to be affecting Quatre more than himself.

"What do you want to know?"

The question startled Wufei, breaking though the silence so that it sounded louder than it really was. Wufei rested his mug down on the coffee table before he looked to Quatre, the boy staring straight ahead at the blank television screen.

"Well, if you're willing to provide answers, then what was all this about?", he questioned, Quatre merely sipping at his tea, "Were you praying or meditating, and why didn't you just let me go out on the fire escape?"

Quatre rested the cup down with a heavy sigh, his hands coming up to rub at his face. He was tired, ready to drop down and sleep where he sat. There was just too much excitment going on, he didn't think he could handle it.

"I had to strengthen the wards I put on your apartment.", he offered, "This way he can't get in."

"Wards?", Wufei asked confused, "As in magical barriers?"

Quatre nodded and Wufei gave a laugh of disbelief. This was too much, he wasn't in the mood for jokes. There was a blood-sucking creature that was after him and Quatre had time to joke around.

"So, what are you a witch?"

The question he had said in retorichal sarcasm, however Quatre merely nodded, his face devoid of any sign that he wasn't serious. First vampires and now witches. What was next? Werewolves? Wufei found that he rather not think about it.

"You're a witch?", Wufei asked, recieving another nod, "I thought women were witches and men were-"

"I'll explain it another time.", Quatre interrupted, somewhat exasperated, "At the moment I have to set some ground rules."

Wufei frowned, but didn't object. Quatre seemed tense and a tense Quatre usually led to an angry Quatre. He had experienced it once, it wasn't fun. Quatre stood from the couch to begin pacing, ebony eyes following him as he did so.

"First off the only time you're allowed out of this apartment by yourself will be during the day and only during the day.", Quatre began stopping to look down at the ebony-haired teen, "Do you understand?"

He received an obedient nod as an answer and he took it as a sign to go on.

"At night, you come here and you lock every possible entrance to the apartment and do not reopen it until I've arrived. Duo will be here every night and he probably won't leave until daybreak. His plan is to get to you mentally and have you walk right out. That however isn't going to happen. Not while I'm around."

Wufei stopped for a moment as Quatre grew quiet, his mind mulling things over. Quatre was doing everything he could to protect him from this guy. This couldn't be good.

"What about you?", he finally asked, Quatre pausing in his pacing to face him.

"What?"

"You're making the effort to stop Duo from getting to me. You're protecting me, but what about you?", he asked with a shrug of his shoulders, "Duo will most likely see you as something blocking his way to me. He'll eventually just figure to get to me, he'll only have to get rid of you. Who's going to stop him from doing that?"

The younger boy did have a point, but Quatre hadn't the time to think about that. His mind was focused only on his young friend. He'd be willing to sacrifice his life for him, if it kept Wufei away from that vampire a few minutes longer. Finally tired and now the host of a headache, Quatre let himself flop down on the couch. He needed sleep. However, as of tonight he himself was a nocturnal creature. Wufei on the other hand. . .

His blue eyes looked to Wufei and he offered the Chinese boy a tired smile.

"Why don't you get some sleep?", he offered, stifling a yawn.

"You're the one who's tired.", Wufei argued, not really sure he'd be able to fall asleep tonight.

"Don't worry about me.", Quatre assured him, "I'll sleep when he sleeps."

Quatre's head nodded in the direction of the winodw and Wufei only sighed. He wouldn't argue, he would just do as he was told. Wishing his friend good night, Wufei stood from the couch. He had to admit, he was looking forward to sunrise. The nights were becoming a bit much for him.

Darkness surrounded him physically and mentally, blinding him from what lay beyond. His eyes were closed or so it seemed. Then again he wasn't able to tell either way. He had been this way for an eternity it seemed. He couldn't very much remember how he had gotten in here, wherever _here _was. A world of darkness, a mind empty of memories or knowledge of what was around him, he had just merely existed. Though lately, he had begun to acknowledge that he had once been and still was. It was confusing, it was frustrating but even these emotions were mere tendrils of something he couldn't quite remember; something he couldn't quite grasp.

Trapped.

He had been feeling like that as well. This was somewhere he didn't belong. Then again, what was _here _anyway? A mind that hadn't truly been used for some time, now began to stir again.

Violet eyes widened as a faint push began at the back of his mind. With a frustrated cry, sharp-nailed hands grabbed hold of the sides of his head as if in pain. No, there was no way that he'd allow this to happen; not yet.

"Not yet!"

The bellowed words echoed off of the buildings and into the skyline, causing a dog to bark and several car alarms to go off. Tenants of the surrounding buildings were now yelling angrily out of their windows. Duo ignored them as he struggled against the faint push against his mind. Angrily, he fought against it, trying his best to quiet it.

"You will submit.", he growled through clenched teeth.

His body sagged with relief as the feeling left, returning to where he had safely tucked it away. His hands lowered to his sides and his eyes focused on the window across the street. The Spellbinder was still up and Wufei was now in a restless sleep. He would not send him dreams tonight, there was now no time. There was something else he had to deal with. With out so much as a sound, Duo jumped down from the fire escape to the street, startling a homeless man who had been sleeping against a dumpster. Duo merely smiled at him as the man looked up at him in awe, his drunken stupor having been chased away by the braided creature's feat. With whispered words to make the hobo forget what he had seen, Duo disappeared. A shadow in the night to human eyes as he headed toward the sanctury of his keep. He had been keeping post all night and dawn was approaching.

Heero heard when Trowa had returned, his master making his way towards the bedroom instead of the study. Heero left the study in confusion at Trowa's actions. The older vampire always stopped in his study first. Something wasn't right. Heero made his way to Trowa's bedroom, his nose catching the scent of salt water. What had Trowa been doing? When he reached the room, he quickly pushed open the door, colbat eyes instantly latching onto his sire. Trowa was in the middle of changing, his clothes from earlier now soaking wet and thrown about the floor. Green eyes merely looked to Heero for an instant before Trowa was looking for dry clothes to dress himself in. The two were silent, though Heero had every urge to demand what was going on. However, he could feel Trowa wasn't in the mood for pressing questions, so he let it be. There would always be tonight.

"Why are you still awake?", Trowa suddenly asked.

He stood now dressed in green silk pajama pants, his pale skin contrasting with the deep color, attracting Heero's eye. The younger vampire moved closer, blue eyes locking with jade as they now stood face to face. Anticipating what Heero was meaning to do Trowa acted first, his hands taking hold of Heero's face as his lips lowered to kiss his fledging apologetically.

"Not tonight.", he whispered as he pulled away.

"Not any night.", Heero murmered, his disappointment and anger evident.

The chocolate-haired vampire pulled away, turning to leave the room. He stopped at the sight of Trowa blocking the doorway, his eyes studying the taller of the two with feigned disinterest.

"Heero-", Trowa began, unable to finish as his fledgling cut him off.

"It'll be sunrise soon.", he announced quietly, "I think it best we head off to bed."

With a sigh Trowa stood aside, allowing Heero to disappear down the hall without another word. Heero was right, sunrise was closing in. It was best he get to sleep, there would be alot to do after the sun had set. Though he knew he'd feel empty once Heero left him, Trowa patiently awaited it. Living with this anger that Heero now had toward him was harder to bear.

Zechs groaned as the distorted beeping of his alarm clock pierced the comfortable silence of sleep. If he hadn't already thrown it across the room yesterday, it would have had the same fate today. This was not his morning. Last night, after he had finally managed to convince himself to come home and not stalk his young suspect, he had been greeted with Une's angry voice on his machine. She was not happy with his decision to so easily let Mr. Chang go and had promised him bodily harm. He knew that she would would keep that promise.

Making himself sit up, he raised a hand to scratch at his head. His eyes were barely open and he was fighting the urge to fall back onto the bed. However, his damaged alarm clock was shrieking at him. With a yawn he stood from the bed, stretching lazily before he made his way to the bathroom. The alarm clock was kicked out of his way, the abused appliance cracking against another wall. As the beeping finally stopped, Zechs smiled in satisfaction before he was frowning. Now he'd have to buy a new one.

It took him only twenty minutes to shower and dress, then again he no longer had a clock so he didn't really know how long it took him. As his hands staightened his tie, Zechs' eyes were drawn to the window of his bedroom. The building across from his was a story shorter, meaning from his apartment he was able to see the roof. What had caught his eyes at first were the pigeons that flocked there. They soon took off and when they cleared, Wufei stood staring back at him.

Perhaps he was going crazy? Yes, that was it, he was going insane. Turning away from the window, he turned back to his mirror only to cry out in shock. Wufei stood just behind him and as he turned around, he came face to face with the Chinese boy. Zechs wasn't sure what was going on but he didn't like it. He took a step back from the dark-eyed boy, Wufei easily following with a smile on his face. It continued on this way until Zechs was backed against his mirror, his eyes wrenching shut as Wufei drew closer. There was something definately wrong here. His heart was racing now as a cold sweat broke out over his body. Hopefully it would all disappear and he'd be able to laugh it off as some weird daydream on his part.

He stiffened as he felt a body press against him and was unable to breathe as soft lips pressed against his. He would have melted if it weren't for the fact that deep down in his gut he knew that this Wufei wasn't the real thing. Then again as the kiss became much more passionate it was becoming harder to focus on anything else. Wufei's kiss was breathtaking and tasted like. . . something very familiar.

His eyes snapped open as he pushed the boy away. He wiped the back of a hand over his mouth, his eyes looking down at the crimson liquid that stained it. As his stomach lurched at the thought, he looked up to Wufei. The boy was now smiling at him, blood slowly dribbling out of his mouth.

Zechs jumped out of his sleep with a cry, his chest heaving as he sat up in bed. His body was trembling, his skin drenched in sweat.

"What the fuck was that about?", he asked himself aloud, his voice shaky.

That was not the kind of dream he had expected himself to have about the ebony-eyed boy. Untangling himself from his sheets he stood from his bed, trying his best not to look out of his window or into his mirror for that matter. Dressed only in boxers he made his way into the living room, where his machine was blinking to inform him that he had messages. He already knew who they were from, so he didn't even bother to listen. Instead he picked up the phone, dialing in the number to the precent. It was answered after three rings.

_"One hundred third precinct, how can I help you?"_

"Melissa."

"_Well, Detective Marquise, you're causing quite a stir down here. You know we miss you, you're an hour late._"

An hour late? Zechs left the living room to head for the kitchen, his eyes glancing over to the microwave. He _was_ an hour late. He had to be in at seven, and it was now eight'o five.

"I apologize, I'm not feeling too well. I actually won't be able to make it in."

"Well what's the matter? Maybe I can come and make you feel better?"

"No, that won't be neccessary."

What was wrong with him? This dream had shaken him up more than he thought. He wasn't even in the mood to flirt.

"Oh.", Melissa responded, her voice revealing she was somewhat hurt, "Well then I'll make sure the chief gets your message. Feel better."

"Thank you, I'll try."

He hung up the phone before she could say anything else, making his way back into the living room. With the hand-set going back onto the base, Zechs plopped himself down onto his couch. He sighed as he tiredly rubbed a hand over his face. Une and Noin were going to kill him, let alone that he was never going to hear the end of it from the chief. As he sat on the couch, the quiet of the apartment allowed him the ability to actually think about his dream. He had no idea what it meant, if it meant anything at all. Maybe young Mr. Chang was a vampire?

He snorted at his idiotic suggestion. If the boy had been a vampire, then how the hell had he walked around in broad daylight? Though, this dream was going to pick at his nerves until he found out why the hell he had dreamt it in the first place. Maybe he should call Wufei and tell him about it?

"Right, because that doesn't make me sound like some pervert.", he mumbled to himself, standing from the couch, "Hello, Wufei, I had dream about you last night."

He scoffed as he began making his way to his bedroom again, when the blinking light to the machine caught his eye. He hadn't checked his messages yet. He would at least grant Une and Noin the privilege of yelling at him via his answering machine. Making a U-turn he returned to the side table, his finger pressing the play button as he reseated himself on the couch. He jumped at the loud electronic whine that followed, his hand reaching out to press the stop button. He frowned as it went quiet, his hands lifting up the machine to look it over. What was wrong with this thing?

Zechs stopped as the machine turned on, the message playing on its own. He could hear someone breathing, it was faint but it was there. There was no way this could have been either one of his female companions.

"Zechs."

At the familarity of the voice, Zechs' eyes widened.

"Wufei?", he asked aloud, as if he could recieve an answer.

"Help me, Zechs.", the voice begged, Zechs frowning.

What the hell was going on?

"HELP ME!"

Zechs jumped awake for the second time that morning, his heart thundering in his chest. He had fallen asleep on the couch and he wasn't sure when he had allowed himself to. To make matters worse, he had had another dream about Chang Wufei. Why couldn't he have normal dreams like any other person? He looked down at his machine, which had no messages at all. Which was weird, because he was pretty sure that he had some messages earlier this morning. He didn't question it, only because he was sure he wouldn't like the answer.

Standing from the couch he hurried towards the bathroom. All this dreaming made him sweat and he needed the feeling that he was washing everything that had happened away. After his shower and some very strong coffee, he'd figure out what to do next. If the feeling he had was right, then there was alot more to this Chang Wufei.

T.B.C.

Oi, that was alot of nothing. -.-' Well leave your reviews. I hope a get a few.


	6. Chapter 5

WARNING: I found it necessary that you know there will be major OOCness in this chapter and the following chapters. So yeah, I apologize, but I had to do it to fit my story.

Author's Note: Besides the warning, I should tell you of the start of wonderful flashbacks. That is all. You go read now.

xoxoxPASTxoxox

Trowa's eyes opened at the familiar sounds of the night, the green orbs taking in the surrounding attractions of the Venetian streets. He sat comfortably in his gondola, being guided down the canal towards room and board. He had left Rome just before, his blood singing with the thrill of escape, the thrill of freedom. The adrenaline was still coursing through him. He bid his body stay still and calm, though at the moment with his senses heightened even more, it was difficult to do so. His eyes were drawn to the stone walls of a building where women were standing in the windows, their eyes inviting him to come upstairs. He had in his right mind to step foot in the brothel but easily thought against it. He had somewhere to go and he'd be damned if he'd be distracted by beautiful women.

In a passing gondola a young man smiled at him suggestively and Trowa merely smirked to himself as he sailed right by; even the men were tempting. However, there was no one beautiful enough to lead him astray. He stiffened at the unusual sense that something was watching him. Jade eyes traveled as if pulled, landing on a balcony of a large manor which seemed to be hosting a ball. His brows furrowed as his eyes narrowed in on the lone figure staring down at him, blond hair blowing in the slight breeze. Her blue eyes burned into him and he felt the urge to make his way toward her. There was something familiar about her.

He was gone in an instant, a small pouch of coin left behind to pay for his fare. He was only a blur as he made his way toward the manor, and was barely felt as he made his way through the warm bodies that were crowding the first floor. She was on the second, standing in the balcony. He let her unmistakable pull draw him there. He entered the bedroom as quietly as his kind could manage and the door was closed behind him softly. The windows leading to the balcony were now closed and she was missing.

"I didn't believe that I'd run across another." A female voice began, Trowa turning toward the fireplace. "And yet here I have you."

She sat quietly on a swan back couch, her dark blue dress contrasting the sharp blue of her eyes. Her elegant and forked brows were positioned in a way that revealed she was intrigued with this young visitor in her presence. Just her stare alone beckoned him forward and Trowa was soon standing in front of her. Their eyes locked and he felt himself kneeling before her. Her hand reached out to touch his cheek and he gently took hold of it, bringing it to his lips to kiss her palm. The cold skin that greeted his lips confirmed his suspicions and he closed his eyes in a sort of relief. He had found another; he wouldn't have to be alone.

"I want you." He admitted, his head falling into her lap as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her. "Let me stay with you."

The female vampire stopped in shock at the motion, but soon relaxed, letting her hands stroke over Trowa's hair. She had felt him coming up the canal and was curious herself. She was on her own, had been recently made so, and was in search of another. Was he the one for her? There was only one way to find out.

"What is your name?" She asked him, lifting his head to look into green eyes.

He was older than she was, she could read the stories of the years in his eyes; which meant that he could teach her everything she had wanted to learn. She invited him to sit with her and Trowa eagerly took his place beside her. His arms were still wrapped tightly around her waist as if he couldn't let her go. He wouldn't let her go. Maybe it was his desperation to not be alone, but he didn't want to leave her. Yes, he had wanted freedom, but not loneliness.

"Your name, sir." She began again, a hand running through Trowa's bang. "What is it?"

"Trowa." He answered softly, his body relaxing against hers.

"I am Dorothy." She provided.

Her heart was beating as calmly as his, even though they were both obviously excited. His head rested against her shoulder, sighing in content when she pulled him closer to her.

"Well, Trowa, it would seem I'm stuck with you whether I wanted you here or not." She said with a smile. "And I do want you here. I'm much too young to be on my own."

Yes, he could see that. She had been changed not too long ago. The question was where was her sire or mistress? They would never abandon a newly changed vampire. He lifted his head so that green eyes could ask the question and he saw in her eyes the answer. She and he were the same in more ways than one.

"I hated her." Dorothy began, her eyes growing dark with anger. "I was changed against my will. She never taught me anything except that I survived through her. I wanted to know what I was."

"You are a vampire." Trowa provided, pulling her closer.

"What does it mean?" She asked angrily. "Vampire. It is just a word to me. Am I a demon, a monster, an unholy heathen? What? Vampire is not an explanation for me!"

Trowa tried his best to calm her, though he understood what Dorothy felt. His master hadn't taught him much either. He was told that he was a vampire, a creature of the night. He could no longer stand to face the day and he would survive by drinking the life of mortals. He would live forever, unless he decided to take his own life or was somehow destroyed. He was taught how to hunt, how to use the skills he had, but the questions he asked were never answered.

"You will teach me, Trowa."

It was meant to be a question, but it came out more as a stern suggestion. Trowa wished that he could teach her, but if she wanted to learn as much as he then he was sure that there would be very little Dorothy would learn from him.

"My master would only teach me what he thought I needed to know." Trowa admitted, burying his nose into flaxen locks. "He used his own knowledge against me, so that I would never leave him. I couldn't take it anymore. If he wouldn't teach me, then I'd find someone who would. He wanted to stop me, but I was determined. I killed him in my frustration."

Dorothy pulled away from him, blue eyes looking up to his face as she stood from the couch. She began her way to the door, beckoning Trowa with a finger. He followed her obediently, the two descending down into the ballroom. They ignored the mortals that enjoyed themselves, Dorothy merely nodding at the aristocrats that called for her attention. They exited into a dark hallway, following it until they came to a heavy door. Dorothy opened it with ease, her vampiric strength hidden by her small form. The door led to another stairs and Dorothy led them down. They were met by two coffins, one open and empty, and the other shut tight.

"You stay here at night?" Trowa questioned as his eyes looked around the dark tomb-like room. "In the same house as your human servants?"

"The door bolts from the inside and only we can open it. It's much too heavy for mortal strength."

With those words she walked to the closed coffin, her hands ripping off the lid in a fit of temporary rage. The torches that were notched into the surrounding walls burst into flame, startling Trowa entirely. His master had said that vampires were capable of casting fire, but he hadn't thought he'd seen it done with his own eyes; especially by one so young. He couldn't cast fire. He brought his attention back to the blond vampire, whose eyes glared down into the coffin. He followed the gaze into the wooden box, meeting a pile of human shaped ash and charred velvet lining. What in God's name happened?

"I left her out in the sunlight," Dorothy explained as if she had heard his question. "Nearly killed myself in the process. I watched her burst into flames until I couldn't bear the pain anymore. It took me three days to heal. I still hear her screams during the day, they lull me to sleep."

She looked to Trowa, her arms opening and he drew toward her, taking her in his arms as she buried her face into his chest.

"I've only been this way for three weeks." She admitted, Trowa hearing her heart begin to race.

She was hungry, but she didn't feed. She hadn't said if her mistress had taught her how.

"How were you fed Dorothy?"

Trowa cried out as he felt Dorothy's teeth tear into his neck, her hands grasping his arms tight enough for her nails to pierce his skin through the sleeves of his tunic. With a cry he struggled to pull her free from him and was able to, sending her flying into a nearby wall. She quickly righted herself, her face fitted with a snarl, her teeth bared and glistening in the firelight. Trowa, his body reacting on its own, did the same and was charging forward before she could even defend herself. The two were a blur as they fought, Trowa trying his best not to hurt her. She was inexperienced and if he used his full strength he would do more than harm her. He was finally able to subdue her, his body pinning hers against the damp stone floor with both hands wrapped around her throat. She struggled against the hold for a bit and slowly began to calm down.

"How were you fed, Dorothy?" He asked again, staring down into her eyes.

"From her." Dorothy answered shakily. "She would cut her wrist and let me drink from her."

She didn't know how to hunt? What kind of creator did she have? Whether or not she wanted him, she needed him. She wouldn't survive much longer on her own. He'd stay with her; he'd never leave her until she decided she was ready to go off on her own.

"I'll stay with you." He voiced his mind, his hands releasing her throat. "I'll teach you, Dorothy. I won't leave until you no longer need me."

Lifting a hand to touch his cheek, Dorothy gave him a smile of appreciation, her sharp eyes staring up at him with the words of thanks she wouldn't speak.

"I will always need you." She promised, pulling him into an embrace.

"We'll see." Trowa murmured, allowing himself to relax within her arms. "We'll see."

xoxoxPRESENTxoxox

Trowa's eyes opened as soon as the sun had disappeared completely behind the horizon, the last remnants of his memories fuzzy. She had said that she would always need him. However, as was to be expected, she left to go on her own. Now he needed her and she was miles away, enjoying herself in Africa. When he was able to move he raised his arms to lift the lid off of the coffin, greeted by the dank scent of the crypt he had taken refuge in. He looked down at the mass of bones that lay beside him in the rotting wood and he gave a low apology. He climbed out with ease, his eyes looking around for any signs of an intruder. There was the occasional rat, but other than that he was alone. He looked back to the bones that were lying in the coffin and he sighed. Well the rats and this particular person. With another apology he closed the coffin's lid before he was climbing up the stairs. At the top he opened the door to be greeted by the dark of night, the cemetery quiet save for the sounds of cicadas and crickets.

Heero would be up in an hour at most. He was a late riser as it was, though on occasions he was up before Trowa. Perhaps it was best to be there when the younger vampire woke. Making his way through the tombstones, Trowa's eyes looked up to the night sky watching the stars glitter. Heero would be upset with him for sleeping where he could easily be found, but Trowa had the feeling that Heero would be upset no matter what he did. The young vampire's moods were proof that Heero was ready to stray, but being stubborn he wouldn't do as instincts were telling him. The boy was obedient, but there were times when he refused do to as was told. A young girl flashed in his memory and he sighed at the vision of her. Yes, he remembered her. Heero hadn't listened then either.

It took him half an hour to reach home, Wesley greeting him at the door. After giving the man the night off, Trowa made his way to the cellar. The large area had been accommodated to fit the needs of a daytime sanctuary. A heavy black-out curtain hung just inside of the door, which Trowa pushed past making his way down into the pitch black cellar. The small windows had been boarded and covered so that no amount of sun could enter and if it weren't for artificial lighting, the place would be in constant darkness. Though Trowa could easily see enough for him to move around, he turned on the light, his green eyes squinting at the sudden brightness. He looked over to the large bed that he and Heero usually shared the darker-haired vampire still asleep in the center. Heero wouldn't rise for another half hour and when he finally did wake up the first thing he would do was hunt.

Trowa felt the hunger he had refused to sate rising from deep inside him. He would usually calm it some by feeding off of a stray animal. Today when he had taken blood from the rats inside of the cemetery, it had done nothing to quench his thirst. He'd have no choice but to hunt tonight. The sound of Heero's heart beginning to pick up speed alerted him that he was waking. Slowly, he made his way to the bed, seating himself on the edge of it to watch Heero wake. It took a few minutes for blue eyes to finally open, slowly looking around as his body was still. Heero knew that Trowa was beside him, however he couldn't move just yet. While asleep his body took on a state of rigor mortis of sorts and it took a few moments to wear off. When it did, he turned his head so that he could look at his creator, green eyes staring back at him.

"It didn't help." Heero began, his voice cracking from misuse. "I'm still upset with you."

"I know." Trowa answered with a smirk. "I needed the night alone."

With his strength regained Heero lifted his arm to reach for Trowa, grasping onto his wrist and pulling him toward him. Though he could have easily sat where he was, Trowa allowed Heero to get his way, shifting closer to him and then laying down. Heero turned on his side, propping himself up on one arm as his hand brought Trowa's entrapped wrist to his lips. Trowa shuddered at the touch, wanting to pull his hand away but not in the mood to get Heero angry. Perhaps he spoiled him a bit too much?

"Heero-"

His words turned into a gasp as Heero's teeth gently scraped against the skin, the vein beneath pulsing as Trowa's heart began to beat more rapidly. Blue eyes looked up into green, Heero's smirk the only warning before he broke the skin, Trowa crying out and trying his best to pull free. However, Heero was determined and his grip tightened as his teeth sank deeper. Trowa stilled when he realized that Heero was going to get his way whether he liked it or not, feeling as the younger vampire began to pull from him. His eyes clenched shut as the sudden blood loss drove his hunger to tear away at him from inside. He knew what Heero was trying to do and at the moment it was working.

"Heero, that's enough." He growled through clenched teeth.

The young vamp didn't listen though, his teeth still buried in Trowa's wrist, slowly drawing away more of Trowa's blood. Trowa was going to hunt tonight and if it took him being drained nearly dry then that's what he'd do.

"Enough!" Trowa roared, finally unable to take it any longer.

He pushed Heero away from him, the younger vampire glaring up at him, blood stained lips pulled back in a defensive snarl. Trowa ignored it, knowing full well that he would take it as a challenge if he paid it too much mind. He cradled his wrist close to him, the puncture wounds slowly healing thanks to his malnourished state. He felt the bed shift and he stiffened when Heero wrapped arms around him from behind.

"I'm sorry." The young one apologized. "I had to do it. You need to feed."

"I'm not ready." Trowa explained, leaning into Heero's hold though he wanted to pull away.

"What's stopping you?" Heero asked him. "You won't explain why you've been fasting for so long."

"I'm just-"

"Hoping I'd get fed up and finally leave?" Heero provided, a biting tone on his voice. "You're stupid to think that I'd want to leave you. After over two hundred years?"

"You'll have to eventually." Trowa explained, pulling away to stand from the bed. "You won't be able to ignore you're instincts much longer."

"Trowa, I can decide on my own. I don't believe any of this instincts bullshit."

"You don't believe in it?" Trowa pondered aloud, turning to face Heero with a questioning gaze. "Then why are you already searching for another?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Before he could turn away from him, Heero was in Trowa's grasp, the vampire staring at him with sharpened eyes.

"Our young mortal visitor from last night." Trowa provided, watching Heero's face set in a frown. "I know what you're thinking and I know how you feel. Your hunger rises with just the thought of him and you're tempted. That's instinct Heero that urge to share your immortality with him. It's your nature telling you that it's time you've moved on."

"Vampiric nature be damned!" He cried, struggling to get free from Trowa's grasp. "It's my own choice!"

"Then you admit it!" Trowa exclaimed, letting Heero get his wish and releasing him. "You do want him!"

Heero stopped then, his eyes narrowing on the banged vampire. The two stood apart from each other, muscles tensed and their breathing heavy. Both vampires were fighting against the urge to attack. They were fighting, another sign that they had shared territory for too long. Heero didn't want to admit it, but Trowa could tell that he knew. They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening and Trowa turned to find Wesley climbing down the stairs.

"Master Barton. Master Yuy." Wesley greeted, aware of the tension between his two employers.

"What is it, Wesley?" Trowa asked gently, trying to reassure the old man.

"You have a visitor."

At the words Trowa let his senses reach throughout the house, touching a familiar aura and knowing who was here before Wesley could announce it. Heero was gone in an instant, Wesley gasping at his quick movement. Although he had been with them for over twenty years, it was still a shock to him when they did something that wasn't close to humanlike.

"Young Mr. Winner, I presume?" Trowa asked with a sigh and Wesley nodded.

"Young Mr. Winner."

xoxoxox

Quatre sat silently in the large den, his teeth worrying his bottom lip as he waited for Trowa's arrival. He had risked leaving Wufei alone for an hour or two, sure that the boy would listen and not leave the apartment. To be sure that the boy was safe he had strengthened the wards a bit more. Who knew what Duo was capable of? He had also given his friend the rosary that he had repaired, this time arming it with a spell to protect Wufei in the event he absolutely had to step outside. He heard someone arrive and he turned to the doorway, greeted by the sight of Heero who was only dressed in a pair of black pajama pants. Had he just woken up?

"Quatre."

Quatre stood at the call of his name, watching as Heero moved forward with his hand outstretched. When the vampire was in front of him he took the hand to shake it, returning the smile that Heero offered him.

"It's good to see you." Heero continued, motioning that the blond take a seat. "What brings you to us again?"

Quatre sat down obediently, his blue eyes locked onto Heero's. He had the feeling that his body was barely moving on his own accord and he shielded himself just to be safe.

"I came to see Trowa." Quatre answered, watching Heero's smile fade at the words. "I was hoping that I could convince him to help me."

"With this Duo Maxwell?" Heero questioned, the annoyance evident on his voice.

Heero took to sitting on the single recliner that was positioned across from the one Quatre was seated on. The blond witch merely nodded his head to answer the question, watching Heero shrug before leaning back into the chair. His arms propped up on either of the chair's arms and his fingers steepling in front of him as cobalt eyes studied the young Spellbinder.

"I thought Trowa told you all he could?"

"He didn't tell me anything." Quatre answered with a scoff, his arms crossing over his chest.

He looked to Heero then, realization suddenly dawning on him. Heero was a vampire as well, he had to know something.

"What can _you_ tell me?" He tried, Heero smiling.

This witch was bold. He was trying to get forbidden information. If Trowa wasn't going to provide it, he was hoping that Heero would.

"What if I can't tell you anything?"

"Then I'll assume you won't tell me only because you're not allowed to."

He stopped at his words, his brows turning down into a frown as his eyes studied the blond mortal in front of him. Quatre was a sly devil with an angel's face. He was pushing Heero to tell him what he knew. Duo Maxwell was a name that he thought he'd never hear again. It was a name that he and Trowa had both known and had erased from memory or at least had tried to.

"Duo Maxwell." He began, watching Quatre grow interested. "We were in England when we heard of that particular vampire. However, we never met face to face, we tried our best not to."

"Why aren't you telling me the truth?" Quatre asked calmly, though he was clearly annoyed.

"Why are you so interested in the Undead?"

The third voice caused both of them to look to the doorway of the den where Trowa now stood. He was dressed in a deep green sweater and jeans, a coat hanging over his arm. He looked back and forth between the two before they landed on Quatre, the blond stiffening at the intense gaze. His heart was now thundering in his chest as Trowa continued to stare at him, his senses telling him that the vampire in front of him at the moment was not the same he had met last night. He read the signs of a predator in Trowa's eyes and Quatre quickly diverted his gaze. It landed on Heero who was now standing, knowing their conversation was over thanks to Trowa's intimidation. Now directly in front of his elder, he took hold of him to lead him out into the hall.

"That was uncalled for." He scolded, his voice a low whisper so mortal ears wouldn't catch the words.

"What was uncalled for was you delving into a subject I had brought to a close." Trowa countered. "The name Duo Maxwell is not to be discussed."

"Why not?" Heero demanded, his eyes glaring.

Trowa ignored the question and the challenge, backing away from the younger vampire.

"I forbid it." He answered, placing on his coat. "End of story."

"Where are you going?" Heero asked, watching Trowa turn to leave.

"Hunting." He growled out as he walked down the hall. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

xoxoxox

Wufei tried his best to ignore the vampire that was lurking just outside his living room window on the fire escape. He had been there for an hour now, violet eyes centered on the young Asian. Wufei had gone about as if Duo wasn't there. He made his dinner, did whatever little chores he had and put up food for Quatre to return to. However, he still needed a shower but he didn't want to take one. Though the bathroom had no window, he had a feeling that the vampire could see him. He was still feeling vulnerable after his last incident with the Nightwalker. His eyes were glued to the television screen, trying his best to pay attention to the sitcom that was currently airing. However, Duo kept sending him visions of a nature that made him squirm in his seat.

_Wufei._

He didn't answer the call of his name, only concentrated on watching the television. There was no way he'd allow Duo the satisfaction of getting to him. There was nothing that Duo could throw at him that would throw him off. He was proven wrong as Duo sent him another vision of a sexual nature; only this time in Duo's place was his recent crush, Detective Marquise.

"Will you stop already!" Wufei cried out, turning to glare at the vampire.

Duo merely smiled back at him, his fingers drumming against the glass of the window.

"I see you have a soft spot for the detective." Duo stated, his voice clear as if there wasn't glass between them.

Wufei only turned back to face the television, glaring at the electronic appliance as if it had been the cause of his discomfort this evening. If he was lucky, Duo would get fed up of being ignored and just leave. Though the odds of that happening were slim. Mostly likely Duo had seen Quatre leave the apartment and would try his hardest to get to him now that the witch was gone.

"You know, I'm getting annoyed." Duo announced, Wufei scoffing.

"You're not the only one." He retorted, curling up on the couch.

Duo watched as the young man kept his eyes focused on the television, though the vampire knew it was a struggle. The Chinese boy was interested and interest was what usually brought mortals to him. There were none like Wufei. He was becoming very important to him. If he wanted to stay in this world much longer, he'd need the dark-haired boy.

Violet eyes widened at a familiar presence, his head turning to gaze out into the skyline. Whatever was out there he had encountered before. The pushing was back again, nudging its way free but he fought, successfully stifling it.

Now he understood. This presence, whatever it was, _it _knew it. His curiosity got the best of him and he turned back to the window, gleaming nails rapping on the window. It caught Wufei's attention and he smiled as the boy turned to look at him.

_Don't move. I'll be right back._

In the blink of an eye Duo was gone and Wufei was left confused on the couch. Where was Duo going? Then again, why did he care? At least now the vampire was no longer lurking outside of the window. Perhaps, Duo's attention had been drawn elsewhere? Wufei tried his best to ignore the curiosity gnawing at the back of his mind, focused intently on the sitcom. He failed however as he turned the television off with the remote, rising from the couch to head for the door. Placing on his coat, he silently cursed himself for being so stupid. For all he knew, Duo was waiting outside of the door.

He slowly opened the door, ebony eyes peeking out into the hallway. The coast was clear. Although it really wasn't safe to step outside at night, Quatre had warned him against it. He had also given him the newly magic-protected crucifix, just in case he had to step out. He didn't need to be outside of the apartment but he could always lie and say that it was an emergency. With one last look up and down the hall, Wufei stepped outside the door closing it behind him. Now that he was out, he could go and find something to do. Or at least, that was what he kept telling himself, in denial that he wanted to know exactly where Duo was going.

xoxoxox

Trowa stared up at the blinking neon sign of the nightclub as he walked past it, the name of it catching his eye. Sanctuary. Without a second thought he let his feet take him past the waiting line, feeling the glares of those that were standing on it. He merely smiled at them, walking up to the bouncer who frowned down at him.

"You have to wait in line, buddy. Just like everybody else." The man informed him, arms crossing over his broad muscled chest. "Get to the back of the line."

Trowa only smirked at him, his hands buried in his coat pocket as his eyes stared into the bouncer's. Slowly, he watched as the man's rigid stance relaxed, his eyes becoming unfocused as Trowa carefully took away his free will.

"I do believe that I'm a V.I.P." Trowa calmly stated, the man nodding slowly.

"Yes." He murmured, Trowa nodding his appreciation. "Go right in."

The man removed the velvet rope to allow Trowa to enter. The vampire let his gaze fall from the man, his eyes attracted now to the blonde young lady who was staring at him seductively. With a low laugh he beckoned her forward, the girl easily falling in step beside him and latching onto him as he took her by his side.

"She's with me." Was his explanation as the guard gave him a questioning gaze.

Then they were gone, swallowed by the darkness and music beyond the club's entrance.

xoxoxox

Duo frowned as he watched another vampire enter the club with a blonde recently added to his side. The pushing at the back of his mind had gotten stronger and he was growing quite annoyed. He had thought that it was too good to be true. It would seem that New York City was home to other vampires, which he had previously expected. Then again, he wasn't too worried. This particular vampire didn't seem the aggressive type. Emerging from the shadowed alleyway he had been hiding in, Duo crossed the street to the club. The people waiting on line once again glared in annoyance as someone walked past them, the guard sighing as Duo drew closer.

"Look, there's a line." He began, but stopped in fear.

Duo flashed him a grin, fangs and all, before he easily walked past the man who was soon cowering against the wall of the building. This was going to be fun.

xoxoxox

A brush of familiar feelings passed over him in his dark world. His thoughts were trying to morph that familiarity. He wasn't sure what was going on. His mind had been working since it had awakened, aware that wherever he was he was alone; or so it was made to feel. Trapped. That was the word. He felt trapped.

He had come to realize that his eyes were closed but he couldn't open them. No matter how hard he tried, something was holding him back. He also deducted that _something_ didn't belong.

He pushed again, struggling the best he could to open his eyes but instantly failing as whatever was there with him pushed back.

He felt the familiar touch again, his mind forming a cloudy image. It was someone he knew; had known. He wanted to see. . . he had to see!

xoxoxox

Wufei pulled his coat tighter around himself as he walked down the street. It was freezing tonight. He was beginning to regret ever stepping foot outside. To make matters worse he had forgotten to pick up his keys in his haste. So, he had no choice but to wander the streets until Quatre got home. Since the cops had his cell phone that meant using a pay phone. He growled in annoyance as he realized that he didn't have change. Well he could always call collect.

"I don't accept collect calls." He reminded himself, his frown deepening.

Could this night get any worse? He was walking past a small club at the moment, the music coming from inside not doing much to help the headache he was growing. He was shocked as he came to an abrupt halt, his arm caught in a strong grip. Just as he turned to tell off his offender, Wufei gave out a groan instead. His night had just gotten worse.

"When I said it was over Darrel I meant it." He sharply stated, pulling his arm free.

He turned to walk away but was caught around the waist and pulled against a body he did not feel like being pulled against.

"Hey, baby." The man greeted, nose nuzzling Wufei's ear. "Long time no see."

"Yeah, there's a reason behind that." Wufei retorted, trying to free himself. " Now get off."

The man laughed, pushing Wufei away before the boy's elbow could connect with his stomach. Finally free Wufei tried to walk away, but was grabbed again, this time pinned against Darrel so that they were facing each other. He was beginning to wonder what he'd seen in this guy to begin with. As the brown-eyed man flashed him a smile, Wufei was reminded. Damn cute bastard. However, he wouldn't give in. There was no way he would fall into Darrel's clutches again.

"Why don't you head inside with me, Wufei?" Darrel suggested, his arms tightening around the smaller man. "I bet you and I could have ourselves a good time."

Wufei looked over Darrel's shoulder to find a teenaged boy glaring in his direction. Leave it to Darrel to be an asshole. He could relate to how the boy was feeling at this moment, he had been in that position before.

"I don't think that's such a good-"

Wufei paused as he felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew what that meant. A certain night-walking creature was nearby. His eyes looked toward the club, feeling his heart begin to pulse faster. Oh yeah, he was in there.

"Ok." Wufei agreed, the mocha-skinned man smiling in triumph. "Let's head inside."

He could not believe he was chasing after this vampire after he had been warned to stay away. Then again, when did people ever do as they were told? Ignoring the man that had a possessive hold on his waist, Wufei allowed himself to be led into the club. If he was lucky, Duo wouldn't catch sight of him. However, he highly doubted that.

xoxoxox

After Trowa had left, Heero returned to Quatre, but he was ready to depart as well. He had to return to his friend that he had left somewhat unguarded. So with a small apology, he had allowed Wesley to begin leading him to the front door. Watching Quatre's retreating back had filled Heero with a feeling he couldn't quite come to terms with, and he swore that at the back of his mind he could hear Trowa's laughter mocking him. He hadn't even noticed that he was following the young witch until he heard him gasp.

Heero came around to find himself holding onto the car door, stopping Quatre from closing it. Prussian blue eyes met sea-green and he was highly embarrassed. What sort of behavior was this? He let go with an apology, stepping away from the car. He knew when someone was afraid of him and at the moment fear was radiating off of Quatre. The dark-haired vampire watched as Quatre controlled himself however, starting the car and driving off at a normal speed.

What was happening to him? Heero could only wonder. There was an urge for him to follow, an urge to go after the young witch but he fought against it. Trowa would not be right. He found out just how right Trowa was ten minutes later when he found himself dressed for the winter weather and following after the witch in his own car. This didn't mean anything though, Trowa wasn't right. He'd prove it.

xoxoxox

Wufei's eyes searched the entire area of the club, slapping away Darrel's hand every time he became too friendly. He couldn't find Duo anywhere. Then again, the strobe lights and dancing bodies weren't helping any. He felt Darrel pull him closer and then lips were brushing against his ear. He would be able to look better if this leech would let go of him.

"We're going up there soon!" Darrel announced over the music. "V.I.P lounge."

He pointed to the glassless window of a balcony like room, Wufei smiling as he caught sight of it. He could use the height to his advantage. It would be easier to spot the braided vampire from there. Darrel was pulling him in the direction of the dance floor but he resisted. The man turned back at him with a questioning gaze and Wufei smiled at him. Moving closer, he wrapped his arms around Darrel's neck bringing his lips close to his ear so that the taller man would hear him.

"Let's head upstairs." He suggested, pulling back to stare at his ex.

As was to be expected, Darrel didn't turn down the offer. He led the way, Wufei taking the time to look around as they headed toward the elevator. He was finally released when they reached upstairs, Darrel making his way to the small bar as Wufei headed to the window overlooking the dance floor. He didn't understand why he had this sudden obsession with finding the braided creature, but he wasn't going to deny it any longer. He was just worried what would happen once Duo was found.

The arm around his waist was back and Wufei stiffened, wanting nothing more than to watch Darrel accidently fall out of the window. He was offered a drink but he denied it, though he really could have used one.

"So we're upstairs." Darrel pointed out, the Chinese boy merely sighing in exasperation "Anything in particular you wanted to do?"

"Not now." Wufei brushed him off, eyes still searching the dance floor.

He was rudely pulled away from the window, Darrel pushing him against a wall before he was pressing against him.

"Darrel, get off!" He demanded, onyx eyes glaring up threateningly.

"I'll get off alright." Darrel laughed, pressing closer suggestively. "But with your help of course."

Wufei felt his stomach curl as Darrel's hands roughly grasped his ass. This wasn't good.

xoxoxox

Duo pulled away from the young man he had currently been feeding off of, teeth stained red as he watched the man drop lifelessly to the floor. He loved this vampire stuff. It was fun. Licking his lips clean, Duo frowned at the familiar feeling close by. It was accompanied by a mortal's aura and not just any mortal. He was aware of Wufei's distress and his eyes turned up. There in a window, he could see Wufei struggling against a man. His lips curled as he gave a growl of possessiveness. Wufei was his; no one had the right to touch him. Mortal or otherwise. Slowly, he made his way to the elevator that led to the V.I.P. rooms. He was going to have lots of fun.

He made it upstairs just in time, frowning as he found Wufei struggling unsuccessfully against the other mortal's advances. His anger heightened as he watched a hand begin to fondle the ebony-haired boy, his eyes sharpening as a rumbling growl broke free.

Darrel cried out in pain as his hand was pulled off of Wufei's groin and was then unmercifully crushed in an inhuman grip. Falling to his knees when he was released, he cradled the broken limb, staring up wide-eyed at the intruder. Whoever, no _whatever_ seemed right, whatever it was stepped forward menacingly and he scrambled away.

"No!"

Wufei threw himself in front of Duo, trying his best to stop the vampire before he could do any further damage to his ex. However, he was only pushed away, his eyes widening as Duo took hold of Darrel. The man was now in a panic, begs falling from his lips as he was lifted from the floor. It was in vain, Duo's mind was set and there was nothing that would change it. All masks were down and his entire aura showed him to be the predator that he was. With fangs bared and gleaming threateningly, Duo looked every bit the nightmare Wufei had thought his kind to be.

"Duo, please!" He begged for Darrel's sake and his own.

He was not in the mood to watch someone else be fed on. He wasn't sure how he had stomached it before but he knew that he wouldn't be able to now. His begging was obviously ignored as Duo gave a roar, Darrel's begging turning into sobs. By now the front of his pants were darkened, Wufei watching wide-eyed at the scene in front of him.

"Duo, wait!" He tried again, but was easily ignored.

He watched Duo's mouth open wider, inhumanly wider and he was no expert of vampires but he was sure that their jaws had the same limited movement as his did. Duo's mouth seemed to open wide enough to cover the entire width of Darrel's neck. And that's exactly what it did.

"No!"

Wufei's cry wasn't heard as teeth sank into Darrel's neck, the man's horrified shriek cut short as his throat was ripped away. Wufei moaned pathetically at the sight, turning away as blood spilled from the gaping hole that had been Darrel's throat. He felt his stomach lurch and then the contents were soon staining the floor as well.

He was pulled up from the floor as if he was nothing more than a ragdoll and suddenly the dancehall of the club was underneath him. He had been held but was released, a pained yell echoing in his ear. He had forgotten that he had been warded against Duo. So if the braided vampire had thought about carrying him off to his lair or whatever it was, his plan had been rudely stopped. Wufei couldn't help but watch as the dance floor drew closer, the bodies shifting as he fell. That was smart, make a clearing where he could make impact and die.

He grunted in pain as his fall was stopped, he and his rescuer landing elegantly by the bar. He was placed on his feet. He looked up into green eyes and immediately knew; this guy wasn't human. This was just his luck. He had no time to thank the creature, he was grabbed again and at a speed Wufei never thought possible he was taken outside. They stopped in an alleyway across the street, Wufei being released when they were hidden behind the dumpster.

"You're safe for now." His savior began, green eyes looking back toward the club. "But you won't be for long. Get out of here now."

His thanks was cut short again, a shout replacing it as the man went flying into the opposite brick wall. He watched him fall to the ground limply, hoping that he was alright. Duo's back was facing him, the vampire more focused on the other. He rushed forward, lifting the banged creature from the ground and pushing him back against the wall, Wufei aware of the imprint that now adorned it.

"I'll teach you to touch what isn't yours." He threatened, lips curling back to bare his teeth.

Dazed, Trowa lifted his head, waiting for his vision to clear. His arms lifted, hands grabbing on to the sleeves of his attacker's shirt. He had only begun feeding on his blonde beauty when that little fiasco had happened and he jumped to the rescue. Now he was wishing he had minded his own business and continued feeding. He needed the extra strength the blood would have given him.

His eyes finally began to focus, his mind clearing as the vampire in front of him actually started to look more than a fuzzy blob. When he was able to look at him, he lifted his head only to have his breath catch. It couldn't be.

"Duo?"

xoxoxox

He was trying his best to fight against this darkness. _He _was closer and practically next to him. He needed to see him. It would prove that he was real, that all this existed. He fought harder, feeling recognition fuel his fighting. Whatever it was that controlled him was weakening.

"Duo?"

That was all he needed. His eyes finally opened and he was able to watch the memory finally take form.

xoxoxox

Duo gave a frustrated cry as his eyes clenched shut momentarily before they opened again. Violet orbs stared into jade in amazement, and Trowa swore he saw recognition in those familiar depths.

"Trowa." The vampire whispered, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

The moment was ruined as Duo cried out again, head flying back as the scream lasted longer than the first. When he was through, he looked to Trowa again, but this time it was replaced by the darkened eyes from earlier.

"I've worked too hard to have you ruin it for me now." Duo growled out.

The sound of police sirens caught his attention and he looked toward the street where squad cars were pulling in on the other side of the street. It was time for him to make himself scarce. Letting go of Trowa, Duo turned to look at Wufei. The young mortal was cowering in a corner against the dumpster, wide eyes looking up at him in pure horror. Now it'd be even harder to get to him.

"Until next time." He promised before he was gone, a shadow scaling the building.

Wufei's attention was brought to the other vampire in front of him as Duo disappeared and just in time. The banged creature was about ready to fall. Standing on shaky legs, Wufei reached out to catch him, managing to keep strength enough to lower him to the ground.

"Mister, are you alright?" He asked, ignoring for the moment the police in the background.

Trowa was still stunned. There was no way he was here. He was sure that he was going crazy. Duo was. . . Quatre had said. No. It wasn't true. He quickly turned to anger, not wanting to admit to the truth. His anger released his hunger and with senses heightened, he realized the warm human body that knelt beside him.

Wufei's scream tore through the alleyway as teeth painfully penetrated his neck. This was not like the first time; there was no soothing feeling of pleasure that followed. His struggles only made the vampire clamp harder and Wufei's breath hitched as the pain grew worse. He was growing limp and his heart which was beating rapidly at first was slowing down. His vision was darkening at the edges and he tried not to think about the fact that he was most likely dying.

Trowa was too lost to notice anything, his senses tuned only to fill his need; to slate his hunger. He was brought down from his high however as he recognized the sound of a beating heart; one that was dying. In horror he pulled away, looking down at his young victim guiltily. The boy stared up at him, his mouth hanging open as his eyes threatened to close. No, he couldn't die. Trowa wouldn't allow it.

"Come on, young one." Trowa urged, lightly tapping the boy's cheek. "Please stay awake. You can't die, not like this."

He watched as lips moved, trying to form words but unable to. What had he done?

"Hey you, what's going on down there!"

Finding the cops were drawing in, Trowa cradled the boy in his arms before he was scaling the wall of the building much like Duo had. The boy had to hold on; no matter what it took the boy could not die.

T.B.C.

And there you go. I'm surprised I've gotten this far. Well tell me your thoughts, I'm open to constructive criticism. Ciao for now.


	7. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Look, I updated. Will you leave reviews? Let's hope so.

Warnings: Same as before.

xoxoxox

Detective Marquise was not happy. Not. One. Bit. The entire day he had been plagued with very horrific dreams of a certain potential suspect. Now he had been called out for a homicide. This wasn't even his jurisdiction. What the hell was he out here for? He tried his best to disappear into his jacket as a biting wind blew past. It was matching his mood at the moment. Zechs waited patiently as the forensics team went about their business. Une was in there, she was the one who had called him. Damn vindictive bitch. This was her payback for letting Wufei walk. He didn't see what she was so angry about, since he was coming back in tomorrow. He looked at his wrist watch, rolling his eyes as he read the time. Correction, he was coming in today.

He heard the forensics team give the all clear and Zechs paid attention to the few men and women filing out. His eyes narrowed as his friend walked out, her body sagging tiredly. Whether she had been working hard or not, she wouldn't get off easy. When Zechs takes a personal day that meant no police work of any kind. Yet here he was, standing in the cold in front of a murder site. All thanks to a woman scorned. As Une drew closer he readied himself to give her a piece of his mind, but whatever he meant to say was lost as he saw her face. Something about this particular case had disturbed her.

"Une, are you alright?" He asked concerned.

Une shook her head with a shrug of her shoulders, giving off a tired laugh. There wasn't much that could get to Une, she had seen it all and yet this seemed too much.

"This wasn't a murder, Zechs." She finally said, her voice small. "It was. . ."

Her inability to finish her sentence was Zechs' clue that he wasn't going to like it.

xoxoxox

Yup. He was right. Zechs turned away momentarily from the corpse. This was worse than the three bodies they had found skewed about the subway. His neck was missing, or at least a big chunk of it was anyway.

"What the hell happened to his neck?" He asked, trying his best to hold back from vomiting.

He had never seen anything like this and he had seen a lot of things. This looked like something attacked the man and it wasn't any kind of animal that he could think of.

"I don't know." Une answered, replacing the covering back over the body. "When Noin gets a hold of it, she'll be able to tell us."

With the body carefully shielded from his sight, Zechs turned to look at Une, his eyes trying their best not to look down.

"So, did you guys get a description?"

Une merely shrugged, walking over to the small bar and seating herself on a stool. She was tired as hell and she was ready to drop at any moment. Unlike Detective Marquise, she had been working all day and was called out here at the last minute. He watched her pour herself a drink, throwing it back as quick as she could. He walked over to her, joining her at the bar and accepting the shot she offered. Hell, he wasn't on duty and even if Une was, she needed a drink or two.

"This club is infamously known as a drug house. Any and all dealers and buyers are welcome here. Hence the name Sanctuary." Une began, grimacing at the strength of the liquor. "A lot of people said they saw a man jump out of this window and others say they saw another jump up from the crowd to catch someone mid-air. We've decided that when you have people tripping on acid, the main course of the evening, you're bound to get crazy stories. So, we're back to square one."

"Did we ever leave it?" Zechs questioned, staring down into the contents of his cup. "These murders are the worst I've seen my entire time on the force. Who the hell could do something like this?"

"Whoever they are, they aren't human." Une said with a scowl. "No one could ever do something this monstrous and have the right to call themself human."

The two were interrupted by the chiming of the elevator, both looking in its direction. They were greeted by the sight of an officer leading a young man who had to be younger than eighteen. Didn't this kid have school in the morning?

"Hey, guys." The officer greeted, gently pushing the boy forward. "He says he knew the victim."

"Did you really?" Zechs questioned, turning in his stool to look at the boy directly.

"Of course I did." The boy said with a shrug, arms crossing over his chest. "He and I were fuc. . . dating. He brought me here tonight and ditched me for some fucking Chinese whore."

Zechs gasped as ebony eyes flashed in his mind, before he was shaking it off. He had to get control of himself. There were thousands of Chinese people in New York City. There was no way that it could have been Wufei.

"Your friend didn't happen to call him by a name did he?" Une inquired, her own suspicion aroused by the boy's information.

"Yeah." The boy said shrugging again. "It was some sort of traditional name, started with a 'W' I guess."

"Wufei."

Both Une and Zechs looked at each other, having said the name in unison. The boy only nodded, his eyes wandering over to the covered body.

"That's what he gets for ditching me."

xoxoxox

"Marquise, hold on!"

Zechs paused in climbing into his car to find Une was coming after him. After the boy had been thanked for his help, Zechs had left unable to stay any longer. Wufei had been there, he had been the witness to another murder. The first time was fine, but this time. . . there had to be an explanation. Une caught up just as he sat in the car, stopping the door midway from closing. Her eyes were angry, but then again she usually was, and she opened the door fully to grab Zechs' attention.

"You know what you have to do." She started, Zechs scoffing. "Damn it, Marquise, this is fucking serious. This boy has been present at two murders. Noin told me you had a crush on this kid."

"I do not have a crush on him!" Zechs screamed in his defense. "Now can you let go of my door, I'd like to go home."

"I'm not done with you yet!" Une easily screamed back. "You'd better start thinking with your fucking brain and bring that kid in. He's our number one suspect, Zechs. He's been present at two murders in one week, do the God damn math. You're not doing yourself any good trying to protect this kid."

Zechs merely glared up at her, his face set in a scowl. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Then again, it was Une and she was never one to sugarcoat anything. She was right on so many levels but he didn't want to point his finger just yet. There was something else going on. There had to be. Wufei's appearance at both scenes of the crimes was just coincidence.

"Don't do anything stupid, Marquise." Une continued, a scowl of her own set on her face. "Not for hopeful wishes that you'll get a good fuck out of it in the end."

Zechs' anger flared twice as high and he started the car and put into gear, his eyes burning up at hers as he did so. That was uncalled for and how dare she imply. . . he let it go. He was pissed enough as it was.

"Let go of my fucking door." He growled out, turning to look out of the windshield.

Une did as he demanded, slamming the door closed hard enough for it to echo in the empty street. She couldn't get a final word in afterword; Zechs' car was already halfway down the street, screeching as he sped around a corner to disappear completely. She didn't care; there was no need for her to regret anything she had said. If he wasn't capable of doing his job, then she'd have to do it for him.

xoxoxox

Quatre entered Wufei's apartment building as quickly as he could. He felt that he was being followed and he had no intentions of finding out just who it was exactly. He made it to the elevator, happy to find he would have it for himself. Somehow it made him feel a bit more secure. He stepped inside, pressing the button for Wufei's floor and patiently waited for the doors to slide closed. As they began to slowly do so his heart began to speed up. There was something definitely following him and his body knew it too.

He was being hunted.

There was only one person who came to mind and Quatre willed the doors to shut faster. They did so, slamming closed with the whispered words that fell from Quatre's lips. He had to make it to Wufei's apartment before their persistent predator did.

He reached into his pocket, feeling a bit more at ease with the feel of the small vial in his hand. He had been prepared to project fire once again. Duo seemed to think it was real and if he needed to fight him off then Quatre was ready to do so. The bell sounded as he reached Wufei's floor, the doors sliding open ominously to be met with an empty hallway. With his breathing now heavier, Quatre took a cautious step forward, leaning to look out of the elevator and down the hall. No one was there, or so it would seem. For all he knew the braided creature of the night was lurking close by. He pulled back into the elevator, taking a deep breath and readying himself to walk out into unknown danger. Before he could even begin, he felt a presence next to him and before he could scream his mouth was covered.

"Please don't panic. I'm not going to hurt you."

At the familiar voice, Quatre paused with an inquisitive frown. He then turned his head as he was released, his eyes meeting cobalt blue. He couldn't believe it.

"You were following me." He accused, his voice still a bit shaky.

Hell, the rest of him was still shaking. He had been put through quite a scare.

"I'm sorry." The vampire apologized. "I don't know why I did it."

"You followed me." Quatre repeated, his mind still wrapped around that piece of information.

What did this guy want from him? He didn't ask, he merely walked away, still stunned that Heero had the nerve to follow him. And follow the vampire did. Silently he trailed after Quatre, his eyes locked onto the small blond the entire while. Quatre could feel the weight of his gaze on him and he wasn't sure how to interpret it. He had admitted that he was interested in learning about Quatre's "practice" as he called it. However, at the back of his mind Quatre had a feeling the vampire was interested in more than witchcraft. As they reached the door, he paused before pulling out the key to open it, turning back to face Heero who was directly behind him. Quatre found himself trapped between Heero's body and Wufei's door, a very uncomfortable place to be trapped.

"Heero-"

"Your friend isn't inside." The vampire announced, his eyes looking to the door as if he could see through it.

Quatre snapped back to normal at the words, his face frowning up at Heero.

"What?"

He didn't wait for Heero to repeat himself; he was bursting through the apartment door and was met with the dark that added truth to Heero's statement. He wouldn't believe it, he had told Wufei to stay inside. That he wasn't allowed out at night when Quatre wasn't with him. Wufei knew better, he had to be in his room sleeping.

"Wufei?" He called out, switching on the lights.

Heero watched him walk further into the apartment, unconsciously following him inside after a moment's hesitation. He had felt Quatre's wards set up just outside of the door and he didn't want to be at the brunt end of a powerful spell. However, it would seem the blond witch had set it up for his friend's night time stalker and him alone. He watched as the frenzied blond searched the apartment intent on finding his friend. It was easy to tell however that Wufei was long gone.

As Quatre left to search the bedroom again, Heero's eyes were pulled toward a book that sat comfortably on the side table. He gently picked it up, opening it to the marked page. His interest was piqued as he read the word vampire and was soon reading the words that followed. Is this truly what mortals believed? Yes, some of it was true; however the majority of it was nothing more than folklore. He saw the names that resided on the page, of vampires he never knew of, finding each one crossed out. All save one; Trowa Barton.

"Then again, he just may join the rest." He said to himself, his words cold.

In order to get his mind off of it, he decided it best to look over the book, flipping through it backwards just to pass time. He stopped at "D" his interest peaked once again at demons. They existed as much as he did, but he never really had much interest in them. A peculiar name caught his eye and he stopped to read it over.

"Delinos." He read aloud, feeling the air vibrate.

That couldn't be good. He would have looked to see if Quatre was nearby, but he could easily hear that he was now conversing on the phone. He settled himself on the couch, his eyes reading over the words as he got comfortable enough. This demon was one he had never heard of and yet it seemed he should know it. The book told very little about him, except that he was a demon to be feared and how he was locked away in a separate plane of existence. He scoffed at the words, it sounded like a cheap horror story. There was even the warning that he would be able to return to Earth and bring with him the apocalypse.

"Same old story with every demon now, isn't it?" He asked himself as he closed the book.

He stood at the sound of Quatre entering the room and he turned to look at the young witch, finding the man's face riddled with fear and worry.

"I can't find him." Quatre admitted, his voice small.

Heero wasn't sure what he could do, but he had to do something. This vampire that was tracking Quatre's young friend had no right to do so.

'And you have every right to do that to Quatre?' A small voice asked him in the back of his head.

He brushed his conscious aside, walking closer to the male witch to rest a comforting touch to his shoulder.

"Don't worry." He offered with a small smile. "I'll help you find him."

xoxoxPASTxoxox

Trowa was running. Where he was going he wasn't sure, he was really following wherever his body was taking itself. He looked down in his arms where a young man was limp. He was dying and he couldn't allow him to. He hadn't meant to lose control. It had somehow happened so quickly. He looked up to the large house that was a few feet away from him. She would help him; she had brought him to him to begin with.

He was aware that he startled the servants as he burst through the front door and he didn't care that he used his supernatural speed in their presence; which was forbidden in her house. He needed her now; there was no time to follow etiquette. He met her in her bedroom, sitting in front of the vanity mirror and brushing her platinum locks. Her eyes looked to him in the mirror, widening as she took sight of the pale boy that he was carrying in his arms. She turned to face him then, her eyes looking up for an explanation.

"Help me." Trowa begged, moving forward.

He was on his knees in front of her, cradling the young boy closer to him, as scared eyes looked up to her. He was the older of the two, but the relationship seemed to have switched over the years where she became the mentor and he the student. He wasn't ashamed of it; he rather it be that way. He wanted her help, needed it now more than ever.

"Dorothy, please." He continued, head bowing. "I don't know what to do."

She stood then, her hand lifting his head by the chin so that she could look down into jade eyes.

"What else is there to do?" She simply asked him.

He frowned in confusion before his eyes widened in shocking realization. He couldn't. Not again, it was much too early.

"I can't." he muttered, standing to back away from her. "I won't."

"Then he'll die." she retorted coldly, her eyes glaring. "And you'll have only yourself to blame. Here I give you this boy to take care of, to raise as your own, to teach him all that you can and you kill him. You were yearning for him when I walked him through your door and you couldn't hold back any longer."

"I tried."

"Did you really? Or did you simply give in?"

Trowa didn't want to admit it; he had wanted him since the night she gave the boy to him. However, he couldn't change him. He was far too young. He was much too innocent. Sensing his distress, Dorothy walked closer to him, watching as Trowa tightened his hold around the boy. He had to do it, there was no other way.

"Do you want Heero to die?" She questioned watching Trowa numbly shake his head. "Then you know what you must do. He deserves to be with you. I wouldn't have introduced him to you if I had thought differently."

"It's not right." Trowa admitted, his head bowing again. "It wasn't his choice. He should be the one to decide."

"Then ask him." Dorothy simply replied. "He still has strength enough."

It was only then Trowa noticed that blue eyes were looking up to him, Heero's mouth moving to make words. His immortal ears easily caught them and he felt tears threaten to fall from behind his lids.

"I don't want to die, Master. Let me live with you; always with you."

He sank to his knees, gently resting Heero down on the floor. There really was no other way. He would make the change. He felt Dorothy beside him and had only a moment to watch as her teeth was sinking into his wrist.

"Your child." He simply explained, holding his dripping wrist over Heero's mouth. "Your blood."

Yes, he'd do anything to save him. Anything.

xoxoxPRESENTxoxox

Trowa forced himself to go faster as his memories clouded his mind. He had remembered the night he had nearly killed Heero. The consequence was Heero's transformation into a vampire. The same could not happen for Wufei; he would not allow it to happen. He would have liked if Dorothy were here to help him, but she was nowhere nearby. He'd have to do well enough without her. His large house came into view and he felt somewhat at ease. Wesley could be trusted; he would know how to help.

xoxoxox

Wesley was startled by the loud clatter that came from Trowa's study. He had heard the master leave; he had watched Master Yuy follow after young Mr. Winner and had assumed that the two would not be home until a few moments before sunrise. It would seem that he was wrong. He stood from his chair, heading for his door to make his way to the study. From the sound of the crash he would guess that his two employers had finally turned to fighting. The two seemed to be on pins and needles lately and he found it frustrating that there wasn't much he could do. He remembered a time when those two got along so well. A master and his student, a father and his son. . . a man and his lover.

He sighed as he reached the door, an aged hand stretching out for the doorknob. He had no time however, the door flung open and luckily enough he reacted quickly enough to miss being hit by it. His eyes widened at the sight of Trowa standing in the doorway, his eyes wide and frantic, as if he were panicking. It was only then he noticed the young man in Master Barton's arms, the boy limp and pale as if he were dying.

"Master Barton?"

"Wesley." Trowa began, his voice confirming his panic. "I don't know what to do. I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't. . . he's dying, Wesley. I don't know what to do."

"Master Barton, please calm down." The old man said calmingly. "Bring him inside and lay him on the bed."

Trowa did as was told, rushing into the room and laying Wufei down on the full-sized bed. He was gently pushed out of the way as Wesley took to the boy's side. He examined first his neck, which luckily enough Trowa had remembered to help heal. It wouldn't have fared well for the boy if the master had allowed the boy to bleed to death. Though Wesley was sure that he was still dying; Trowa had drank too much.

"You should have taken him to a hospital." The old man informed his master. "They could have helped him. There's not much that I can do. I'm not a doctor you know."

"A hospital?" Trowa questioned, finally seeming to calm, "I couldn't take him there. I'd have to answer questions. I couldn't just leave him there for him to be found, it would cause too much of a disturbance. I brought him here only because I had nowhere else to go."

Wesley took to removing the boy's shoes and coat as he silently thought things over. He couldn't help the boy here. Even though Trowa was right, it would have still been the better choice to take him to a hospital. He needed medical attention and if not that, he needed something short of a miracle.

"Perhaps you can gain help from young Mr. Winner?" Wesley suggested, turning to look at the vampire. "His witchcraft should help if you don't wish to dabble in conventional methods."

"Quatre." Trowa murmured, his eyes growing distant for a few moments. "How would I find him?

"Find Master Yuy." Wesley simply provided with a slight shrug. "Wherever he is I'm sure our young witch is close by."

Trowa nodded in agreement. Wesley had a point. If he simply looked for Heero he would find Quatre as well. Quatre couldn't refuse to help him.

"Who is this young man?" Wesley finally asked watching down at him.

Trowa hesitated, feeling guilty at the news he should be providing. While drinking from the young man he had seen his life, but he hadn't been paying attention. It wasn't until his hunger had been sedated did he realize that he was feeding from none other than Quatre's young friend. It would be hard to explain this to the Spellbinder, he seemed to have shared the same anger as his fledgling.

"He's a friend of Quatre's." Trowa finally answered, Wesley giving a gasp. "I couldn't help myself. . . I didn't know-"

"Please, Master Barton I understand. Perhaps you should go and find Mr. Winner and I'll stay here to care for the boy. And hurry, we haven't much time."

"I wouldn't know where to start looking." Trowa admitted sadly. "They could be anywhere."

"You and Heero still share a bond." Wesley reminded him. "You know you can find him through it. As much as you two may be growing apart, you're still connected."

A bit stunned from those words, Trowa could only nod in response. He looked to where Wufei was lying, watching the boy's chest slowly rise and fall before he was looking back to his trusted servant.

"You'll try your best?"

"I won't leave his side."

"Thank you, Wesley."

With his words of gratitude said, Trowa was soon off looking for his roaming fledgling. If he was lucky he'd find him way before sunrise. He had a feeling that Wufei wouldn't be able to last that long.

xoxoxox

He had returned to his dark prison again. Having been thrown there against his will. He knew where he was now. He was beginning to remember. Light shined down from above him so that he was in the center, a few feet of light circling him. The rest remained pitch black, his body sensing that something was watching.

He ignored it for the moment, surprised that he could look down and see that he was real. That he could acknowledge his existence. He could only wonder what had happened to him, wonder how he had been brought here. The presence in the shadows shifted, but he didn't bring his attention to it. That's what it wanted and he wouldn't grant its wishes.

Green eyes clouded his vision and he gave a smile as his eyes watered. Trowa. He had called him that, the man from his memories. No not a man, his memory was screaming at him. Not a man at all, he and him were one and the same. A creature bound by blood. A creature that needed it. What was the name, he couldn't remember.

"Vampire." A silken voice resonated, offering the word as if it were reading his mind.

He merely ignored it still, looking down at his hands, the sharp nails gleaming in the light. He had hands; he was whole again. He looked over himself for good measure, smiling when he felt the long braid tickle his fingers as he reached over his shoulder for it. He was himself again and he had a name.

"Duo."

That was his voice and he was startled by it. He had forgotten how to speak and now he could do it once again. Yes, that was who he was. However, it felt as if he wasn't in control of himself. Someone was still directing him, almost as if he were a puppet. He had a body but he felt that this was nothing more than an imitation, something to keep him satisfied.

His eyes were drawn to the shadowed bulk just barely beyond the circle of light and his face held a look of boredom and disinterest as it slowly crawled forward. Talon like claws were the first to enter, before a massive head emerged, gleaming red eyes leering down at him. A large mouth grinned, razor sharp teeth glistening as saliva slowly dripped from them. He had no idea what this creature was, but he did know one thing; it was ugly. It move forward still, the rest of its body slanting as it's shorter hind legs came into view, it's back muscled and yet bony.

It gave a screeching roar, almost as if to intimidate him, tail whipping about in a threatening manner. Violet eyes only stared up at it, his head tilting in an inquisitive fashion. The monster took the hint; his captive wasn't scared. With an annoyed growl, it slowly began to shrink, its body taking the form of a man. The two stared back at each other in silence, violet eyes meeting now sharp blue.

"I was afraid that you would eventually awaken." The man began, forked brows knitting together in a frown. "I should have gotten rid of you when I had the chance."

Duo merely kept silent, his eyes looking away to search the surrounding darkness. He had no time to hold conversation with his captor. Perhaps there was a way he could escape?

"There's no way out." The man provided. "You are trapped."

Trapped. Why did he have to be right? Duo turned sharpening eyes to the man, the man merely raising an eyebrow at the threatening gaze Duo had thrown his way. He should have been more careful, should have figured that the vampire he had crossed paths with felt familiar to his little captive.

"What do you want with me?" Duo finally demanded, his voice calmer than expected.

The man merely shrugged with a smile, hands clasping behind his back as he began to circle the nightwalker. That was a question he thought Duo would know the answer to. However, it would seem that he had yet to regain all of his memory. Unfortunately, his mind had already remembered the banged vampire.

"The bond was too strong to ignore." He murmured to himself, as he paced.

Duo watched him as he did so, suspicious as much as he was curious of the thing in front of him. He knew now the presence that had kept him trapped for so long was before him, however, he had yet to find out why he had done so. That and where exactly he was being held.

He looked around at the surrounding darkness, aware that the entire place felt familiar and yet. . . he had no idea where he could be. The faintest movement beyond the shadow caught his eye and without a second thought he was running after it. The monster protested behind him, but he didn't stop, searching the darkness for the thing that had captured his attention.

A shape drifted to the right of him and he was soon obediently tracking it, his captor close behind him. Duo disregarded him, gaining speed as light in the distance encouraged him to move faster. He stopped just outside the circle of light, his eyes landing on the familiar figure that stood in its center. Slowly, Duo stepped inside of it himself, the creature turning to face him, a smile greeting the vampire as he came closer. Duo smiled himself, wanting to rush forward but unable to.

"Trowa." He said in greeting.

"Duo."

Their greetings broke the silence and Duo's hesitation, the Nightwalker moving forward as the taller of the two opened his arms in invitation. Duo was stopped, however, by the sudden presence of a new creature, whose eyes stared back at him, as he stood now wrapped in the arms of the banged vampire. Trowa merely smiled at him still, pulling the brown-haired one closer to him and nuzzling the locks affectionately. Duo's heart pulled and he shuffled backwards, now unsure of himself. Why did it hurt to see these two like this? Who was this new individual?

"My, my, what your mind remembers."

At the voice Duo looked behind him, the ginger-haired man looking on in amusement. What did he know and just what did he mean by that? He looked back to the two vampires, whose stares matched his, Trowa holding out a hand in offering. Duo jerked away, a frown marring his pale face and Trowa's smile faded.

"Send him away." The braided-vampire pleaded.

The newcomer's face contorted in anger and Trowa's gripped tightened around him, almost sensing that he was willing to attack.

"Duo, please try to understand."

"I don't want to understand!" He exclaimed, anger riddling his own voice. "Just send him away! You're mine and mine alone! _My_ father, _my_ teacher, _my _lover!"

Trowa's hand retracted from its outstretched position, curling itself around the other vampire's waist once again. Jade eyes looked sadly at Duo, burning guilt and shame into said vampire as he did so. Duo turned away, unable to hold firm under the pressure of that particular stare. He was beginning to remember things he had gladly forgotten.

"All I want is for you to understand." Trowa's voice brought confusion, Duo feeling both soothed and irritated. "We love you."

Duo's gasp was audible and he turned to face the green-eyed vampire, but was met with nothing. He had gone, as well as the blue-eyed one. It was as if they had never been there to begin with. He looked around frantically, eyes searching the surrounding shadows but unable to find them. In midst of his searching, his eyes landed on his keeper and he rushed forward in frustration. He took hold of the man by his shirt, lifting him off the ground and baring his teeth in a threatening manner. The laughter that he was met with only caused him to grow angrier and Duo growled impatiently.

"What is this place?" He demanded, harshly shaking the man. "Where have you put them?"

"I haven't put them anywhere." His captor calmly answered. "And as for where you are, you should already know the answer to that."

Duo's confused expression caused the man to sigh in exasperation, easily loosening Duo's hold of him so that he was standing on his own two feet again. He waved an arm around as light spread to finally brighten their surroundings. Duo's eyes widened at the familiarity, as a room filled with memories made itself present.

"Welcome, young Master Duo, to your mind."

xoxoxox

Wufei knew that he wasn't lying in an alleyway, meaning after he had been fed on he wasn't left for dead. He recognized that he was lying on a mattress, but could also tell that this wasn't his. Nor was it Quatre's. A hospital bed would have been his next choice, but there was far too much room. The only way he would find out was if he opened his eyes, but he didn't want to do that. He felt much too tired to try and wake fully now.

He was also feeling a bit queasy. His stomach was doing all sorts of flips and turns, threatening to lose the contents of the little he had eaten that day. Rolling onto his back, since he had been lying on his side, Wufei sighed tiredly as he tried to will himself back to sleep. There wasn't anything else he could really do. If the vampire that had drank from him had offered him a soft bed to sleep in as reparation, than who was Wufei to refuse?

His stomach lurched again, but this time he frowned as it happened. That didn't quite feel like nausea. The feeling came again and this time it felt like his stomach was moving. His frowned deepened as he compared it to something pushing against the walls of his stomach. It happened again this time more forceful and Wufei finally opened his eyes. Without a moment's hesitation he drew back the blanket and raised his shirt, eyes widening at the sight.

The shape of a hand pushing from inside of him could be seen on his abdomen and Wufei choked, unable to scream or cry out. The pressure increased and a second hand joined the first, pushing with all its might as if it was trying to free itself. It was only until a larger bump formed, this one the shape of a head did Wufei find his voice.

xoxoxox

Wesley was violently awakened by the loud scream that came from his bed, causing him to sit up from his stuffed chair that he had taken refuge in. The boy was awake that was obvious and he had been dreaming. The way he was screaming sent shivers down Wesley's spine; they had been horrible dreams.

"Get it out!" The boy kept shouting, thrashing about in the bed. "It's inside of me! Get it out, get it out!"

He was near sobbing now and Wesley quickly took to his feet as fast as old bones could allow him. He gasped as he saw the boy clawing at his stomach, nails leaving bloody trails across his skin as if he was trying to rip himself open.

Wesley quickly grabbed him by the wrists, pinning the boy to the bed with as much strength as he could muster. He had no idea what the boy could have been dreaming, but he hoped that he would be able to calm him down.

"Be still!" He demanded gently, fighting against the boy's thrashing.

"I don't want it inside of me!" Wufei cried, fighting against the restraining hands. "Get rid of it! Get rid of it now!"

Wesley looked down at the boy's abused stomach, before he was looking up into wide and crazed eyes. He slowly shook his head, shushing the boy's protest and calming him some.

"There's nothing there." He simply told him, the boy whimpering in relief. "It's gone, there's nothing there."

Then the body beneath him grew limp, the boy's breathing calming as he allowed himself to relax. Wesley cautiously let him go, an aged hand lifting to stroke ebony locks which had been loosened during the boy's hysterics.

"It's alright." He continued to soothe, watching the boy's eyes begin to droop. "There's nothing there."

Wufei however wanted to fight sleep and his eyes opened to look up into the gentle gray eyes of his caretaker. He was grateful at the moment for the old man's company. Who knew what could have happened if he hadn't been there?

"Will you stay?" Was Wufei's quiet plea and Wesley found it hard to refuse.

His other hand took hold of the boy's, not the least bit surprised when Wufei squeezed it, and he nodded in answer.

"I won't leave." He promised, hearing Wufei sigh in relief.

Although he was fighting against it, Wufei fell asleep thanks to his lack of strength. Wesley allowed him to, knowing he needed the rest though he was having his doubts. Another fit like that in his current state wouldn't be good. He could only hope that Trowa returned with the young lad's friend soon enough.

xoxoxox

Quatre did not want to guess how he and Heero were moving around so quickly. Nor did he want to find out. It did however feel like they were sailing through the sky, not flying but rather jumping for a very long time. His face was buried in the crook of the vampire's shoulder, his eyes wrenched shut, and he didn't have the nerve to lift his head and look around. He couldn't believe that he had actually allowed himself to take so much trust in a vampire, especially one that had taken a suspicious interest in him.

The feeling of his stomach finally settling alerted him that they had finally come to a stop and he slowly raised his head to peek at his surroundings. They were still up high, for he could see the skyline of skyscrapers. Heero pulled away and Quatre followed, the vampire leading him to the ledge of the roof. Carefully, Quatre peeked over, prompted by a point of Heero's finger.

Below he could see police cars in front of a nightclub, a body bag which seemed not to be empty was being loaded into an ambulance. What had gone on here?

"Your friend." Heero began to explain, eyes focusing on the human bodies below. "He was in there."

Dark-blue eyes then zeroed in directly below them and Quatre could only gasp as he was taken hold of. They jumped and his eyes widened in horror as the ground was fast meeting them. Gracefully, they landed, but Quatre's heart would need a moment to calm. He pushed himself away none too gently from the Nightwalker, Heero ignoring the gesture and moved toward the opposite building. His eyes studied the cracking bricks, a frown marring his features as a hand rose to trace the cracks.

"So was my master."

The blond witch followed him as he moved to the center of the alleyway, crouching in front of a puddle that seemed a bit too dark to be water. A pale hand dipped into it and emerged stained.

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is."

Heero looked back to Quatre with uncertain eyes, confusion written on his face. He stood, his hand still held in display for the witch to see.

"This blood is not my master's." Heero provided slowly, unsure if he should be revealing whose it was. "It belongs to the one which he took sustenance from."

Quatre's eyes widened at the realization and the only thing that fell from parted lips was a name.

"Wufei."

xoxoxox

The phone to the hotel room was ringing and quickly a servant rushed to answer it. After inquiring who was calling, he obediently went in search of the guest. She sat lounging beside the poolside; her eyes watching as another woman peacefully swam. He couldn't understand why these two were out for a swim so late, but then again he wasn't there to question paying customers.

"Ms. Catalonia."

"What is it?" The woman answered, turning icy eyes on him.

He visibly shrank, not exactly comfortable with the stare that had been directed to him. A shaky hand held out the portable phone, trying not to drop it as his palms were now slicked with sweat.

"A call from London." He explained, dark eyes widening as she reached out. "A Mr. Douglas."

As pale fingers took hold of the electronic instrument, he jerked away, unconsciously backing from her to put as much distance between them as he was able to. She merely smiled at him, a dark secret smile that sent a jolt of fear down his spine. Then she merely waved him away and it took all his will not to run from her presence.

With the man gone, Dorothy took to taking the phone call, aware that her companion was staring at her with a look of disappointment. She paid her no mind, turning her attention to her butler who was patiently on hold.

"Douglas, how nice of you to ring me."

"_Forgive me for interrupting your vacation_."

"Nonsense, Douglas. I'm never too busy for a call from you. Is something the matter?"

"_Not necessarily, no_." Douglas began, Dorothy frowning at the words. "_However, I thought it best you knew that Master Trowa had been by calling for you the other night. He seemed troubled and wished you would visit him in New York_."

"Troubled?"

"_Yes, as if something was on his mind_."

"I see." Dorothy contemplated, her friend now out of the water and making her way to her. "Thank you, Douglas. I shall see to it that I schedule a flight to New York as soon as I'm able."

"_Thank you, Madam. I'll keep in touch_."

"See that you do."

With that she hung up, her friend's raised eyebrow the only question she was going to get. She stood from her lounge chair, the woman besides her following as she made her way to the room.

"We must begin packing, Relena." She finally answered, the woman pausing in her steps at the words. "Soon we'll be leaving for New York."

"How soon?" Relena asked, Dorothy turning to offer her a smile.

"Tonight."

T.B.C.

Hmm. . . the plot thickens. Or perhaps it just gets confusing? Either way, I can't believe I'm actually going somewhere with this. Leave reviews for me, for they fuel my inspiration. Ja for now.


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Welcome to another chapter of my fic. I got a few reviews and I thank you for them. I'm happy this is coming along so well.

Warning: A few warnings besides the usual OOC one. There's some odd pairings in here. And I guess it's kind of a mild lime scene. . . though I'm not sure if you can actually call it a lime. More of some really heavy kissing and weirdo turning on stuff? O.o' 13x2 in a way, 3+D and mentioning of 1+R. Yes I know, but it's all in my head and I had to do it. I also apologize about the witchcraft. . . I looked it up on the internet, so if there are any wiccans out there who want to correct me and give me some help on that, I'll gladly accept it. Now that we got this out of the way, we shall go on with the fic.

xoxoxox

The speed in which they were traveling was unnerving to Quatre and it was easy to see; at the moment he was clinging to the door and dashboard in a death grip. Heero didn't seem to notice and if he did he didn't seem to care. His eyes were focused intently on the road, his foot planted firmly on the gas. It was amazing that they hadn't been pulled aside as of yet.

They had left the alleyway after a quick and unnoticed look around the club, just to be sure if it truly was Trowa and Wufei who had been in the alleyway. They found, or rather Heero found, traces of Trowa in a corner booth. He had company with him and it wasn't Wufei. Heero had sensed traces of the Asian boy in an upstairs room. Quatre hadn't exactly seen anyone turn green with envy and though Heero didn't change colors it was evident that he wasn't particularly happy with this new found bit of information.

After that, they were heading back to Wufei's apartment complex, climbing into Heero's jaguar and speeding off into the night. The young vampire was now on an angry search to follow after his elder. From what he was able to make out from signs and landmarks they passed, Trowa had been heading home. Hopefully, Wufei was with him and hopefully he was alright. Though Quatre's stomach turned nervously; there had been far too much blood for the Chinese boy to be alright.

He was distracted from his thoughts as Heero suddenly swerved and his eyes widened as he caught a flash of something moving out of the way of the speeding vehicle.

"What the hell was that?" He asked, turning to look at Heero.

The vampire seemed to be ignoring him and he made a sharp turn, the car soon facing the opposite direction. Quatre was aware that he now had reason to panic; they were now traveling against traffic. He would have screamed at the vampire, but the sudden stop jerked him and Heero's intense glaring drew him to look to where the creature was staring.

xoxoxox

Trowa had made it far enough, following the faint line that felt like his fledgling. He couldn't be sure though, it seemed that Heero was traveling and then at times, it felt nothing like him. He drew closer to the highway, which at this time of night and as far out as they were, was empty save one or two cars every ten minutes. The pull was becoming stronger although he wasn't quite ready to believe that it was Heero.

As he landed on the asphalt, his eyes burned with the intensity of the high beams that were heading in his direction. He was fast enough and he moved out of the way, the car whizzing by and his senses were brushed with anger and jealousy.

He had found him.

He landed gracefully from his jump and he watched as the car screeched into a turn, speeding in his direction once again. He fought the urge to squint as the car drew closer and the lights became brighter, but he stood his ground as the car came to a sudden halt a few meters away. Heero was staring at him; he could feel the accusation and anger that was coming from him.

xoxoxox

Quatre stared wide eyed as Trowa now stood a good distance away from them, jade eyes focused on the car, almost as if he could see them past the blinding lights. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He was, at the moment, an unfortunate addition to this little lover's spat the two vampires seemed to be having. He felt when Heero tensed, his senses already open and aware just by the presence of a supernatural creature. That meant he had the unfortunate opportunity to feel Heero's anger give way to the burning need of vengeance.

"Heero, no!"

His scream was ignored as the car was soon flying forward, Heero's eyes zeroed in on the lone figure out on the empty road. Quatre could only widen his eyes, bracing himself for the impact Trowa's body would make with the car. He was shocked to find that as soon as they closed in, Trowa was gone, Heero crying out in frustration. Vampires had speed. He had nearly forgotten. He would have let out a sigh of relief, if he hadn't been bracing himself as Heero maneuvered the car to be facing the opposite direction again.

Trowa stood waiting for them again, his face stoic with his body tensed and ready to move out of harm's way. However, Heero had given up on trying to drive over his creator. Quatre watched as the vampire threw the door open, climbing out to merely glare at the banged creature; or at least for the moment that's all he was doing. The blond witch had no idea of what he should do, this would not end well. Perhaps it would be best to try and calm the blue-eyed vampire?

"Heero-"

He could barely start, his words turning into a shout of shock as he found a back soon pressed against the now cracking windshield. It was Heero's, the younger vampire struggling against Trowa's restraining hold. When the two had moved, Quatre wasn't sure, but this had already started out bad.

He went to reach for the door handle to open it but was crying out again as the roof of the car dented in low enough to graze his hair. There was a blur of movement now in front of the car, the headlights serving as a sort of spotlight for the two fighting vampires. He tried to focus in on them, catching as Heero managed a successful blow to Trowa's face, leaving four bloody trails stretching diagonally across the elder's face. Trowa countered with a marking hit of his own, though it was his teeth that sank into Heero's exposed shoulder, his shirt having been ripped to shreds already.

Quatre resisted the urge to scream, his hands coming up to muffle the sound as he was unsuccessful. Heero now had a gaping wound that was bleeding profusely, Trowa's blood stained teeth bared in a maniacal grin. They were then a large blur once again, their movements too fast for the witch to catch.

It was Heero's pained scream that somehow pulled him from his shock and without thinking he climbed out of the car. Trowa now had Heero's left arm twisted behind his back, the limb obviously broken, though the older vampire continued to twist it. He rushed forward, unwillingly grabbing Trowa's wrist and pulling in a futile effort. He was suddenly flying through the air, his breath short from the blow that had been delivered. Luckily for him, he didn't hit the ground, he was caught by someone; he just wasn't sure who. When he was able to breathe again, he stared up into apologetic green eyes.

"Stay away from him!" Was the only warning the two received and then Quatre was snatched away.

Unceremoniously thrown to the ground, he grunted from the pain, looking up to find the two fighting yet again. Now he was mad. Standing from the ground he focused on the two, Heero soon pinning Trowa to the ground, his knee grinding into his creator's chest. Trowa was hurt and it was obvious that the wound was weakening him. He had remembered Heero saying that Trowa hadn't fed in months. His healing abilities had to be a bit sluggish due to that. Well, the two had stopped now, at least there was that. Now Trowa could easily lead them to where he took Wufei.

He watched as Heero's right hand rose and then suddenly plunged into Trowa's chest, deep-blue eyes now dark and unfocused. Trowa's agonized scream shot a cold shiver down Quatre's spine and unconsciously he was sprinting forward. He fell to his knees, his hands pulling at Heero to try to get him away from the green-eyed creature. If Heero pulled free Trowa's heart, the vampire would surely die. He wasn't sure how he knew this, but it seemed obvious and he couldn't allow it to happen.

"Heero, please!" He begged, his eyes welling as Trowa screamed yet again as Heero's hand tried its best to pull the organ free. "Don't do this, Heero! Please, I'm begging you! Don't give him what he wants!"

That was enough to cause Heero to pull his hand free, cradling it as if he had been burned, his eyes returning to normal and widening in disbelief. He wasn't sure what had just happened and he knew that it couldn't be good. His mind had been clouded with anger while his body had been led by it. He shifted, shuffling away from his master, grateful for Quatre's reassuring touch on his unwounded shoulder. Trowa was still lying on the ground, his body slightly jerking as a hand tried its best to cover the large hole in his chest. Heero turned away, not wanting to watch his master's beating heart but unable to block out the sound. What was happening?

"Trowa. . ."

Quatre was no longer by his side then, the blond witch hovering over the pale body that was stilling. His hands gently rested over Trowa's. Heero watched as his creator tried to push the witch away, but the boy merely pushed his arm away, returning to the bleeding wound that exposed Trowa's vulnerable heart.

"Please. . . don't."

Quatre merely shook his head at Trowa's mumbled words, holding back tears and having no idea why he felt like crying.

"I can heal you."

"No. . . leave me."

"He still needs you!" Quatre objected loudly, a sob escaping his throat. "I still need you. Wufei. . ."

He was unable to finish, turning away to hide the tears that began to slowly descend from his eyes. Then Trowa was looking into apologizing deep-blue eyes, tears welled as well but successfully held back.

"I'm sorry, Master." Was whispered low enough so that only the two Nightwalkers could hear. "Please let him heal you. Don't go yet, not when you're still needed."

The young blond was looking down at him once again and Trowa gave a single nod, which was all the confirmation the witch needed. Without hesitation, Quatre laid his hands atop the open wound, closing his eyes to concentrate. He hoped that whatever Sally had taught him had actually stuck with him or else he'd have to rely on other methods to save the vampire's life. As luck would have it, he was the only human in the nearby vicinity. This had to work.

xoxoxox

Detective Marquise stormed into his apartment, slamming the door closed behind him. He was still seething, still in disbelief that Une would accuse him of risking the case for a quick fuck. The priceless vase that had been a house warming gift would never have suspected that it would become a pile of worthless glass. It rained across the waxed, wooden floor, having been thrown across the room to shatter against the opposite wall in Zechs' fit of anger.

Making his way to the living room, he flopped down onto the couch, bringing his hand up to rub at his temples. He was now hosting a terrible migraine and the pain reliever was much too far away, not to mention hidden behind a fragile mirror. He was in the mood to smash and break things, it was best that he avoid glass.

He leaned back into the couch, his eyes roaming over his ceiling, spotless save the lighting fixture that sat smack dab in the center. It was time he settled down and actually think things through. Though Une had wrongly accused, she did have a point. He was straying from the case and the denial card was not one he felt he should have been playing. Wufei, their only suspect, was seen at another crime scene. Coincidence, but still suspicious. He had been seen keeping company with the victim, so there was one mark against him. Those who had been interviewed and hadn't been high off their rocker and of those few who actually laid eyes on Wufei, admitted that he didn't seem to like his company much. Others did see him heading toward the V.I.P. room and many claimed he jumped over the balcony. That was another mark against the young Chinese man.

However, it was said that when jumping over the balcony, he had company. So there was indeed another suspect. Well at least he hoped there was another suspect. In the reality of it all, they couldn't keep any of the details people had so eagerly provided. There really wasn't any way to know if what was said was truth or the workings of half-baked minds.

He wasn't sure where this random fit of anger was coming from but his center table suffered, being flipped over, papers stacked on top of it fluttering to the ground. He stood to begin pacing, pausing as he looked down to the pile of papers on his floor. He was met with smiling eyes and he hesitated, turning to fully focus on the sketch. He had drawn it, the night he came across the stranger in front of Wufei's building. He bent to pick it up, eyes scanning over it and feeling strangely enough as if it was staring back. Letting paranoia win over, he crumbled the piece of paper and discarded it carelessly over his shoulder.

He was drawn then to another sketch, this one much more carefully done. Sloe eyes called him closer and he was soon kneeling on the floor, his fingers lifting the drawing to stare at it shamelessly. What was this boy doing to him? If he was the superstitious type, he'd think that he'd been put under a spell. As it was, he was a realist, so the only thing going on was a new found attraction to Wufei. His fingers of his right hand traced over the drawn strands, before they were tracing over the carefully drawn lips. He pulled them away quickly, his cheeks burning at his own behavior. This is what Noin had warned him about and what Une had accused him of. Damn those bitches for being right. Tomorrow, or rather later on today, when Wufei came in for questioning, he'd have to be a bit more stern. He couldn't let Wufei slip through his fingers, the cop in him wanted to catch the bad guy.

"Even if the bad guy seems to be haunting me in every way possible." He muttered to himself, standing from his knelt position. "Sorry to say it, Wufei, but you're not getting away that easily."

His eyes widened as the sketching of Wufei seemed to smile, his fingers slacking and allowing the piece of paper to flutter to the floor. It laughed and he stumbled back, falling to the floor with a grunt and backing away to bump into a side table.

"Holy shit." He muttered, wide blue eyes still focused on the sketch that continued to mock him.

"You'll have to find me." Wufei teased and then the drawing was gone, slowly erasing until the paper was blank.

Zechs stared in disbelief at the now blank piece of paper, his breathing heavy as he was now scared out of his mind. He couldn't take much more of this weird shit. He wasn't old, but damn it, he wasn't as young as he used to be. He slid forward, a shaky hand reaching out for the piece of paper. He studied it, turning it over to make sure that he wasn't going crazy. Then again, he had to wonder if it was too late. He was sure he had drawn a picture of Wufei.

"And then said picture laughed at me. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm losing it."

He went to drop the sheet of paper, but paused, crumpling it first for good measure. He wanted to make sure that he never came across that particular drawing again. He stood from the floor afterwards, heading to his bedroom with no objection. His hallucinations were most likely a sign that he was tired and even if they weren't he had a long day set ahead of him. A very long day.

xoxoxox

Wesley was awakened once again, this time by the sound of his bedroom door slowly creaking open. He had fallen asleep in his chair, though this time it was placed by the boy's bedside. He looked to Wufei quickly, satisfied to see that he was still breathing, though it seemed the boy was struggling to do so. His curiosity then drew him to the new arrival and he smiled as they entered the room.

"I wondered how long it would take you to return."

Two pairs of blue eyes looked to the bed and Wesley unconsciously reached a hand out to rest lightly over Wufei's.

"You must help him." He spoke gently. "He is dying."

Only one moved forward, coming to sit by the boy's side as a hand reached out to stroke dark locks from a paling face. Wesley was then given a smile of understanding and the old man sagged in relief.

"Leave it to my darling Trowa. He is responsible for this isn't he?"

"It's sad to say, Dorothy, but Heero wouldn't be so careless."

The woman smiled again, both hands reaching out to gently lift Wufei toward her. When the boy was cradled in her arms, she lifted her eyes to Wesley before they were traveling to the door. Wesley followed them and he gasped in surprise, the other woman smiling at him gently in greeting.

"Ms. Relena, I hadn't notice you there."

In fact he hadn't, his eyes had been focused only on Dorothy and Relena was prone to lurking in the older vampire's shadow, almost intentionally so as not to be seen. He stood, his arms stretching out to beckon her forward. She did as he wanted, walking forward and embracing the old man with a laugh. He pulled away to hold her at arm's length, looking her over as if she had looked any different from the last time her saw her.

"My dear, you haven't aged a bit."

"Please, Wesley." Relena began with a blush. "You know that I'll always look this way."

"Maybe Heero should have waited until she was a bit prettier then." Dorothy put in.

Relena's glare was matched by Dorothy's playful grin and it was turned to Wesley who laughed at Dorothy's quip. She was not going to stand around and be made fun of.

"Oh, don't go and ruffle your feathers, Relena." Dorothy said with a scoff, Relena huffing. "It was only a bit of teasing. You can pretend to be sore after we've helped this poor lad."

All eyes focused on Wufei then, the boy now shivering in Dorothy's arms. The vampire pulled him closer, a hand rising to press the nail of her thumb into the skin of her neck. As she now cradled Wufei by the neck, she drew him closer, pressing already cold lips to the bleeding wound.

"I'd never thought I'd be doing this again." She muttered as she tried to coax Wufei to drink. "The things we women do for the men in our lives."

Wufei seemed to jerk, his mouth opening as he gasped, allowing her blood to slowly enter his mouth.

"That's it young one." Dorothy encouraged him gently. "Drink."

xoxoxox

Trowa stopped at the strongly familiar aura that was coming from inside the house, his eyes looking up at the small manor as they pulled into the driveway.

"She's here."

That was Heero's voice and Trowa merely nodded in agreement. He hadn't expected she'd come so fast.

"Who's here?" Quatre questioned.

His question went unanswered as the two vampires continued to stare up at the house, almost unsure as if to step inside or not. Trowa would need to be helped, though the witch had managed to heal him, he was far too weak from blood loss. He managed to heal Heero's arm as well, though it would have easily healed own its own during the day.

"They're both here." Trowa revealed.

He watched Heero tense at the words, his face frowning as he finally looked away from the house. What the hell were these two talking about? And why weren't they going inside? Wufei still needed his help. Trowa had admitted that he was dying and Quatre wanted to make sure that didn't happen. However, being that Heero's car was a two door, there was no way he could leave unless one of the vampires in the front seats climbed out first.

"You guys, Wufei-"

"Wufei!"

Quatre didn't know where Trowa had suddenly gained strength but the vampire was soon gone, a blur heading toward the house and disappearing behind the front door. Quatre looked to Heero for an explanation, but the chocolate-haired Nightwalker was far too busy trying not to look in the direction his Master had just left.

"Heero, what's going on?" Quatre tried.

Heero kept his silence and the witch only huffed before reaching to fold the seat Trowa had occupied only moments before. He'd find out what was happening on his own, he didn't have time to figure out the behavior patterns of vampires.

xoxoxox

Trowa made it inside and up to Wesley's room in good time, a bit slow in the case of vampiric speed, but it was fast enough. As he burst into the room, his eyes widened as he found Dorothy coaxing the young teenaged boy to drink from her. He couldn't allow that to happen, neither of them were willing nor fit to handle another young vampire.

"Dorothy, no!" He objected, rushing forward and snatching the boy away from her.

She cried out in pain as Wufei was ripped away, he had already started to bite into her flesh, and now her neck was the host of a torn opening. She lifted a hand to cover it, Relena by her side in an instant.

"Trowa-"

"I can't let you." Trowa interrupted, backing away from the bed. "Not with this one. He cannot be touched by us."

"How else shall we save him then?" Dorothy seethed, standing from the bed. "What do you suggest? He is dying, Trowa! How else are we supposed to help him?"

"Let me try."

Dorothy was surprised by the new voice and she turned to look in the doorway, finding a blond young man standing just inside of it. She hissed out of pure instinct, hearing Relena echo it, the vampiric women backing away cautiously.

"Spellbinder!" Dorothy spat with disgust and Quatre merely ignored the comment.

He wasn't sure how these creatures knew to make that word sound like the greatest of insults, but at the moment he didn't care. He focused on Wufei, noticing the red stained lips and he began to walk forward, intent on taking his friend as far away from these people as fast as he could. When the blond was in front of him, Trowa easily gave Wufei over to him, his head bowed slightly in shame. It was his fault that the young boy was like this. Quatre cradled his friend as gently as he could, feeling his heart pull as Wufei gave a shuddering gasp, his eyes barely opening to try and study the face hovering over him.

"Quatre?"

His voice was weak; barely a whisper and Quatre wanted nothing more but to cradle him like this for as long as he was able to. Somewhere inside of himself, he felt as if he was responsible for this. If he hadn't left him alone. If he hadn't been so eager to chase after legends.

"I'm sorry, Wufei." He apologized.

There was silence for a few moments, save Relena's low fussing over Dorothy, as Wufei tried his best to form words. His hand rose to weakly grab hold of Quatre's shirt, his ebony eyes blankly focusing on aquamarine.

"What is it?" Quatre asked, wanting to know what his friend wanted.

"I need. . . it wants. . . more."

The words made everyone freeze; Quatre, Trowa and Wesley in shock. Dorothy held a secret smirk on her face and Relena was frowning at her mistress. Sea-green eyes rose to angrily glare at the platinum blonde woman, who merely shrugged her shoulders as she offered him a mocking smile.

"Quatre, please." Wufei continued to beg, tongue running over his lips while his body shuddered at the taste of blood. "Let me have it."

"No!"

The word was expected from Quatre, but the witch was too busy glaring at the new vampire and her fledgling. The shouted word came from Trowa, whose anger was also directed at Dorothy. She didn't seem to understand that this wasn't a game. They weren't young vampires anymore; she couldn't make another whenever she pleased. Even if Wufei was facing death, there were other ways. He could not allow the boy to turn. Wufei's lust for blood had to be discouraged.

"Why deny it to him, Trowa?" Dorothy questioned, gently pushing Relena away to step forward. "He wants the gift we can offer him; he begs for it. Look at him, he would gladly do anything to have your immortal kiss. Grant it to him!"

"Dorothy, stop." Relena begged, grabbing hold of her elder. "Now is not the time."

She was ignored and not so gently pushed away, Dorothy menacingly stepping closer to her longtime companion and the Spellbinder. He was now pulsing with angry power, but she ignored it. She had her own tricks and she was not afraid to counter anything the witch would try and throw her way.

"Non potete resistere, Trowa." She continued, reverting to the intimate language they had once shared, "Lui lo vuole."(1)

Green eyes narrowed on the younger vampire, she couldn't do this to him anymore. Her tricks wouldn't work, and he was no longer able to handle caring for another. Besides, this young man was Quatre's friend, which meant he was under the protection of the alliance. With feeding on the young man, he had already weakened the pact; he could not break it by turning him.

"You can stop, Dorothy." He began, the female vampire now standing directly in front of him. "Quatre will heal him and he will return to the world which he belongs."

"Who's to say he doesn't belong with us?"

"I am." Quatre finally put in.

Dorothy turned to look at him, feeling the anger from the young man push against her senses. He was the overprotective type and wouldn't let Wufei go without a fight. It would be interesting to see just how far he would go for this young boy.

"You would do anything for your young lover, wouldn't you?" She questioned out of curiosity.

Quatre blushed, struggling to catch himself as the question caused him to nearly drop his friend, who was still breathlessly begging for blood.

"We're not lovers." He corrected and Dorothy smiled.

"You wish you were."

"Dorothy."

That was Trowa's voice, and she turned back to the taller vampire with a smile, her arms wrapping around him as she rested her head atop his shoulder. The young blond witch was now sputtering and she smiled in satisfaction. She liked causing mischief and though they had completely jumped from one mood to another, she didn't mind. Let the Spellbinder keep him. Though, it would have been fun having another little one around. Her eyes landed on Relena, who sat quietly on the bed beside Wesley, the old man observing in silence as well. She did still have Relena, but she felt her time with her coming to an end. She would have to return to her father sometime, even if he wanted nothing to do with her.

"Well then, Spellbinder." Dorothy began, returning to the subject. "Heal him. And do it quickly, I won't hesitate to steal him away from you."

With his embarrassed sputtering now gone, Quatre merely glowered at the female vampire. He didn't like her, though he was curious to know just what connection she held to the green-eyed vampire. He watched as Dorothy further embraced Trowa, the vampire trying his best not to return it, but he could see that he wanted to. He turned away as Wufei pulled on his shirt, trying to lift himself closer to Quatre's neck. He had to get to work. He moved toward the bed, Wesley and the other woman standing to make room for him. Wufei weakly objected as he was rested onto it, Quatre gently pulling away to sit beside him.

"I don't suppose that any of you happen to have a blue or purple candle?"

He looked around the room to a sea of shaking heads and he sighed.

"Okay, I can do without it."

His right hand took hold of Wufei's as his left rested against his forehead, and then his eyes closed in concentration, aware of the eyes watching him intensely. He wasn't very good at working under pressure or with an audience, but he had no choice but to ignore them. With a deep and calming breath he began.

"I, Quatre, call upon the powers that be, that the healing power and energy which is my right is now mine."

Four bodies stilled as the room seemed to change, the space almost humming with a presence. Just outside the room, blue eyes watched the witch intently, peeking in from behind the door.

"I know that my words and energies have been carried into the unseen world and will now manifest in the physical realm."

There were gasps as Wufei seemed to glow, the Chinese boy taking in a gasping breath, his eyes falling closed. When the light faded, Quatre opened his eyes to smile down at his friend. He was looking better; his skin was returning to its normal hue.

"So that is witchcraft."

The voice enticed the occupants of the room to turn to look at the door, which Heero was now walking through. His eyes were focused on Quatre as he walked closer, the stare filled with awe, longing and a need that Trowa felt his body tensing with. Heero couldn't hide it any longer and if Trowa knew his fledgling as well as he claimed he did, then Quatre had very little time as a mortal.

"Heero."

At the new and familiar voice, Heero jerked to a stop, blue eyes turning to the vampire dressed in a white sun dress. Her mistress was dressed in one of blue. His eyebrows knotted in a frown and he backed away as she stepped forward.

"What is _she_ doing here?" He hissed, the woman stopping short.

"She came with me, of course." Dorothy answered, interested in how things would unfold.

Relena tried again, stepping closer and stretching out a hand for Heero to take. She smiled sadly at him, wanting him to reach for her as well. He merely glared down at her hand as if it were vile, before those cold eyes rose to stare back at her.

"Father-"

"I want nothing to do with you!" Heero told her, Relena gasping at the words.

It wasn't the first time she had heard them, but they hurt as if it were. She drew her hand from its outstretched position, clutching her chest as if it were in pain. It felt like it was, her heart was breaking once again. Wesley was soon behind her, gently taking hold of her shoulders and drawing her back from the chocolate-haired Nightwalker. Trowa found it best to disperse, Wufei needed to rest and he had to discuss a few things with Dorothy.

"Wesley, will it be alright if Wufei sleeps in your room tonight?" He asked the old man.

"Of course, Master Barton. I'll stay with him."

"No, I would rather-"

"Mr. Winner, I insist you get some rest." Wesley interrupted, ready to put the young witch at ease. "Don't worry, nothing will happen. I will be with him."

"I'll show you to a guest room." Trowa offered, Heero objecting.

"Let me." He insisted, his eyes narrowing onto his master.

Trowa didn't fight him; he didn't want a repeat of earlier. He had much too much to deal with. He merely nodded, watching as Heero bid Quatre to follow him. The blond did so hesitantly; aware that the young woman who Heero had so coldly rejected watched them leave. When they were gone, Trowa looked to Relena, who was now fighting back tears as Wesley softly cooed at her. He also had broken spirits to mend.

"Every night she wishes she could share with him the relationship she deserves." Dorothy mused aloud, Trowa finally giving in and pulling her closer. "She only wants him to love her as much as he once did."

"Come with me." Trowa ordered her, unable to watch Relena's pain any longer. "There is something I wish to discuss with you."

xoxoxox

Duo sat staring at the man across from him, his hands folded neatly atop the table. They had been sitting there for a while now, Duo having demanded to know just why he was here. The man had refused and then offered lunch. Duo didn't like being mocked and his eyes narrowed when the man across from him smiled, currently dining on the food that sat in front of them. Duo couldn't eat, his body would reject it and he somehow knew that this man was aware of that.

"Aren't you going to eat something?" The man questioned.

"I can't." Was Duo's simple reply.

"Ah, yes, I remember. How silly of me to forget."

He stood from the table then, heading over to where Duo sat and kneeling beside the braided vampire. Violet eyes stared straight ahead, not even bothering to turn their focus on the stranger beside him. He did catch from the side of his eyes as the steak knife was lifted from the table.

"Then perhaps I can offer you something you're able to have."

Duo heard as the knife pierced the skin of a wrist and his nostrils flared at the scent of blood. It had been so long and a burning hunger gripped him at the memory. It had been too long. He gasped as the wrist was thrust into his line of sight, his eyes longingly watching as blood slowly leaked from the cut, staining the linen draped over the table.

"Go on, vampire." The man encouraged him, his free hand gently guiding Duo's head forward. "Sate your hunger."

Duo resisted and his head was then jerked back, the wrist hanging just above his lips and he gasped as a few drops landed on them. His mouth opened willingly to catch it, his own hands rising to steady the wrist above him. The man watched what took place, enjoying as the vampire dug his fingernails to pierce the skin even more, the red liquid spurting free and falling into the waiting mouth. Duo moaned at the taste, his eyes drooping shut as he reveled in it. Blood was messily spilling down his chin, slowly crawling down his neck to soak into the black fabric of his shirt. He couldn't care less about the mess however; he was much too concerned with sating a hunger that was tearing at him from deep inside.

"That's it, Duo." The man crooned, lowering his wrist and gasping as teeth sank in deep. "Drink."

He was enjoying watching the vampire so wantonly gorge himself; in fact he was becoming quite aroused by the sight. His grip tightened on chestnut strands and he pulled his wrist free, chuckling at the vampire's whine at the loss. He merely pulled Duo up from his chair, staring into glossy violet eyes, the pupils having enlarged in ecstasy after having fed after so many years. His own blue eyes stared down at pouting, blood stained lips, eager to have a taste for himself. He didn't hesitate and he dipped his head to catch Duo's mouth in a hungry kiss, his tongue delving deep to taste his own blood.

Duo stiffened, unsure of what to do and when he recognized what the stranger was doing he began pushing away. He had in his right mind to tear this man to pieces. His captor caught his intentions and acted quickly, running his tongue over Duo's sharp teeth and slicing it so that he bled. In an instant Duo was unable to help himself, his mouth working to taste more of the precious fluid. He moaned into their kiss, eagerly sucking his captor's tongue to pull free more of the blood he so desperately wanted.

The man pulled away to laugh, looking down at the now panting vampire and lifting a hand to carefully wipe away the blood dribbling down Duo's chin. He traced the vampire's lips, a tongue darting out to lick away the deep red liquid. His captor watched on intensely as he licked the fingers clean, each one disappearing into the vampire's mouth to be suckled gently. He had always felt he had made the right choice with this one.

"Would you like more, Duo?" He asked softly, the vampire now licking the man's wrist clean.

More? Was he truly being offered more? God did he want more, but would this man be willing to give it? Then again, he wasn't human and he was most definitely not a vampire. In fact, Duo had no idea who he was and with that fact revealed, he pushed away.

"Who are you?" He demanded, his eyes returning to their sharp look.

The man merely laughed, stepping forward and reaching out for Duo, but the braided vampire stepped out of reach. He frowned then, not liking Duo's sudden change in behavior. He also didn't like that he had so many questions. He knew that he should have watched him a bit more; when he was sleeping there weren't any problems. Duo wanted to know who he was.

"I am to be feared." He told him with a smug smile, Duo frowning at the words. "My name is one you have heard before. You spoke it once; you set me free."

"Delinos."

At his gasped word, Duo watched as the man's eyes rolled back in ecstasy, a dark laugh falling from his lips. A dark aura began to surround his captor and Duo felt that he had made a horrible mistake.

"Yes, call it again." The man requested, Duo shaking his head in objection.

"I remember you." Duo began, ignoring the man's request. "And I remember the man you now pretend to be. He was the one that brought me to you."

"Treize Kushrenada, at your service." The man introduced with a bow. "I killed him the night you offered yourself to me."

"I did no such thing." Duo snarled, his eyes flashing violently.

"Oh, but you did." Treize pushed, moving closer to the braided creature. "You so willingly let me take you. I remember the exact moment I entered you, it was. . . amazing. You're so perfect, Duo. I had been waiting years for a creature like you."

Duo scoffed in disgust at the words, pushing away Treize's hand as the man had been caressing his face. His memories were gone again and he could only remember meeting Treize Kushrenada in a pub long over a century ago. The name Delinos was connected to that man and that was who took his form at the moment. Then again, was Delinos really walking around with Treize's stolen body?

"Whose face have you stolen now?" He asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

Treize merely laughed, placing a hand on the small of Duo's back to lead the vampire to a window that appeared out of thin air.

"When I entered you Duo, I found that I never wanted to leave. You were much too powerful; I needed that power, so I decided to stay."

"What are you saying?" Duo asked confused.

He was pushed forward and he stopped himself from colliding into the glass, his eyes widening as he stared out. It couldn't be. He found himself looking out to his own face reflected in a mirror and as Treize laughed, his reflection laughed as well. This couldn't be true.

"You see, Duo. Now. . . I'm you."

T.B.C.

This is where writer's block set in. I apologize for this chapter for many reasons.

A/N: I wasn't sure where I was going with this and I'm upset with myself. Wufei wasn't supposed to be in that sort of danger so early into the fic.

Although I was trying not to make this a situtaion where Relena chases an unwilling to give in Heero, that's what it seems like. That's not what it is. I'm not saying I love the pink princess, (lord knows I don't), I'm trying to be a bigger author and not bash her here. Though I might be betraying any fellow 1+R haters with future chapters to come. /flinches/ Please don't hit me.

I have to figure out a way to make things make sense. I might be adding a chapter where it goes back into the past and covers the whole Trowa, Duo, Heero stories. You know how they connect and blah, blah, blah.

(1) This was Italian. Dorothy said, "You cannot resist, Trowa. You want him." Or something along those lines. I got it translated via the internet so if anyone knows Italian feel free to correct me.

Well that's it, I guess I'll be seeing you guys next time. For the love of all that is holy, REVIEW! I needs them, I wants them, let me haves them. The precious. . . must have the precious. Yes, well. . . you know what to do. Ciao for now!


	9. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Anything in **bold** means that it's being read. There's also an OC and the out of characterness continues from here on out. That and they'll be a bit of 3+D and some one-sided 3+2 (kind of bordering on pedophilia), but nothing to worry about. I just like to remind you with every chapter so that no one complains when they're done. Now go and read.

xoxoxox

Quatre felt the weight of her eyes on his back as he was led from the room. He could also feel the heartache that was pouring out from her, reaching out to stifle him. He couldn't stand it; it was too much for him. He was more than relieved when they finally reached the hallway, the door gently closing behind them. How could Heero have been so cruel? His eyes rose to stare at the vampire who was now leading him to his own private room. He would have much rather stayed with Wufei, but Trowa had insisted that he sleep elsewhere and then Heero insisted on taking him. He was to say the least bit suspicious at both their behaviors. He would have to be very cautious, who knew what the two Nightwalkers had planned.

His mind strayed back to the young vampiress who they had left broken to be consoled by Wesley. She had been so happy to see Heero, so hopeful that he would acknowledge her, but Heero had merely hurt her. Intentionally, it would seem. She had called him father. Did Heero have a child of his own and was she it? He stopped suddenly as Heero came to a halt in front of him, Quatre watching nervously as the vampire did nothing but stand there. He wanted to ask the question, but he also didn't want to intrude.

"Even I am prone to mistakes." Was all Heero said before he was walking down the hall again.

A mistake? Was that what she was? Quatre had a thousand questions itching his tongue but he wasn't sure if he should ask them at all. He let himself settle with one question that would most likely get an answer.

"Who is she?" He questioned, falling in step behind the vampire.

"Her name is Relena Dorian."

"And I'm guessing that she's your mistake?"

He couldn't help but back away as fierce and angry eyes were turned to him, Heero stalking forward as his body tensed in aggravation. The witch had no time to think as Heero grabbed hold of his arm, dragging him forward so that their faces were mere inches apart.

"It's in your best interest that you leave that particular subject alone." Heero hissed, Quatre holding back a whimper. "As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to discuss."

The blond nodded and Heero let him go, his face softening from its frown and his eyes becoming apologetic. He cleared his throat in embarrassment before he was turning back to once again lead the way.

"Come on, your room is just up ahead."

Obediently Quatre followed. After that little reaction, he didn't want to know what Heero was capable of next.

xoxoxox

He had expected her anger and that's why he now sat calmly waiting for her to make her next move. He had brought Dorothy to his study to update her on the recent going ons. It had been twenty years since they had last seen each other and he felt the need to fill her in. So he informed her of every single detail, right down to his wanting to leave the world behind. She had merely glared, stood from her chair and stalked toward him. It was only when she was directly in front of him did she rear back her right hand and bring it swinging down across his left cheek. He did nothing however and it was his failure to react that made her go into a tantrum.

With an angry scream she traveled about the room, destroying, breaking, tearing, doing whatever she could to release her anger. Dorothy left almost nothing untouched, save the bookshelf that sat neatly against the wall. When there was nothing else to rip apart or make burst into flames she turned back to Trowa. Her left hand struck his face, turning it in the other direction, this time leaving four bloody trails in its wake. Still the older vampire did nothing and she seethed, walking away to finish tearing his expensive furniture into pieces.

"How could you make such a decision without first consulting me!" She demanded, turning her focus to him. "How could you, Trowa!"

"Dorothy-"

"No, I don't want to listen to you any longer!"

He fell silent again, allowing her the freedom to rant and rave as long as she pleased.

"Do you not understand that you are needed? Do you not think that your life is worth something? What of your fledging? What of me? Do we mean nothing?"

"Heero is ready to take another." Trowa simply provided. "And you left me Dorothy."

He barely ducked out of the way of a flaming piece of debris sent in his direction. It would seem that Dorothy had gathered some new skills over the years. He was curious as to what she was capable of. However, now was not the time.

"I live only because you do." Dorothy continued, her anger slowly waning. "Though you did not make me, you were my father, and then so willingly my first child. I am a strong vampire because I have the knowledge that you are there. I live for centuries because you live with me, I can return to you whenever I need to. What will I do when you are gone?"

Trowa watched her walk closer, flinching slightly as she reached out. He calmed when her fingers brushed the marks that had yet to heal on his cheek. She knelt in front of him, her other hand taking hold of his and bringing it to her lips to place a kiss on his knuckles.

"If you take your leave from this world." She began, pressing her cheek into his palm. "Then I will follow you."

She gasped as Trowa roughly took hold of her shoulders, his green eyes now fierce and glaring down at her.

"Don't you dare!" He hissed, his fingers tightening their grip.

"Why not?" She countered, glowering in return. "If you can die, then so can I! We lived as immortals together and we shall finally be kissed by death together. My cursed soul shall forever rest beside yours."

"I forbid it!" Trowa cried out angrily, rising from his seat.

"What can you do to stop me?" Dorothy pushed, still residing on the floor.

She watched him pace the room before standing to make her way to him. He stiffened when she wrapped arms around him from behind, holding back a growl in his throat. He didn't want to be touched at the moment. He wanted to be alone.

"Non partirme, il mio amore."(1)

With those words said he was finding it hard to keep angry. He gently pried her away from him, turning to face her completely, jade eyes looking into blue. He saw the hurt she tried so desperately to hide, saw the side of her she wanted never to be revealed, always hidden behind a mask. At the moment it was breaking and he couldn't resist the feeling of wanting to submit to her command. Her face was gently taken hold of and Dorothy wrapped her arms around him, desperately clinging to his shoulders.

She knew what he was bound to do, this was his way of trying to get her to forgive him, to understand him; she wanted to fight it. She wasn't able to, though she successfully held back a cry of frustration as Trowa's lips descended onto her hers. He had never kissed her in all the centuries they had been together and it was almost as if this was Trowa's way of saying goodbye long before he would actually abandon her. It was short and it was anything but sweet, for it was painful. Her heart clenched as he pulled away, her eyes falling closed as his lips continued to brush against hers.

"Eventually-"

"You are immortal-" Dorothy tried to interrupt, her voice trembling, but Trowa wouldn't allow her.

"I will die. You must understand that there is nothing I can do and there is no reason for me to stay."

"No!" She objected, wanting to pull away.

Trowa kept a firm grip on her however, his hands keeping her face in a position where he could study it. Marvel it as he once did when they had first met in Venice.

"You're a traitor." She choked out, her eyes finally opening. "You said you'd stay as long as I needed you."

Trowa gave her a sad smile, his fingers taking to gently running through her platinum locks. It was true he had promised her that, but it was also true that she had stopped needing him long ago. Dorothy knew this, but she chose instead to deny it. Very much so as Heero did.

"You'll see soon enough that you no longer need me." He told her. "And then perhaps, you'll understand why I've made such a decision."

"I hate you!" She hissed, even though she moved forward to cling to him in a desperate embrace.

Trowa only smiled, resting his chin atop her head in a consoling fashion, knowing that the harsh words were empty. In due time she'd come to comprehend all that he had told her without objection. He only wished that Heero was able to do the same.

"When morning comes, let me stay with you." Dorothy murmured, closing her eyes as she relaxed into his hold.

Trowa agreed, his hand stroking her hair as they stood in their embrace for what seemed like hours. Neither wanted to pull away at the moment, it seemed that if they did, they would lose the other far too quickly. Even though it was his own choice to die, Trowa ached at the thought of losing them all.

"If you wish to stay, I'll let you." He finally answered. "Morning is only a few hours away. How shall we pass the time?"

As Dorothy raised her head to give him a dark smile, Trowa watched as her eyes grew fierce, her fangs becoming prominent.

"Oh, I believe we can think of something."

xoxoxox

No matter how hard he tried Detective Marquise couldn't sleep. He had been trying for an hour. However, his mind was occupied by the events of the past few days. This case was deemed by others pretty open/shut but he, after much persuasion, was able to draw it out. There was no way that this seemingly innocent eighteen year old boy was a monstrous, soulless murderer. Une had called him to have a calm discussion, much to his surprise, and had informed him that their only suspect was going to stay as such. There was no reason in beating around the bush and that he needed to do the right thing. He had thanked her, though he rather wanted to give her an earful and gently hung up the phone.

His mind had then taken a turn to the weird occurrences that happened earlier in his apartment. The haunting dreams of the ebony-eyed boy and then the creepy coming to life of his sketch. Zechs shook it off, not wanting to think about it. So he let his mind wander elsewhere. He was pretty hungry and was in the mood for take-out. He could go for some Chinese. Chinese food was delicious. Wufei was Chinese, so did he taste. . . No. He'd stop that right there. It would seem no matter what he thought of his mind would just circle back to the young man.

He rose to sit up in his bed, his hand reaching for the remote and turning on the television. The late night news was on, telling of the body that he had the displeasure of getting up close and personal with. Then again, Noin had to touch it. He wasn't sure how she put up with it. The phone rang and he reached for his side table, picking the cordless up and glancing down at the small display screen. It was Noin; speak of the devil. Reluctantly he answered, not really wanting to know what she had in store for him.

"Hello."

"_Hey, babe, you doing okay?_" She asked, her voice soothing.

"Not really." He answered truthfully. "Tonight's just not my night."

"_Une called me._" she continued, Zechs groaning and falling back onto his bed. "_I'm sorry._"

"For what?" He asked exasperated.

"_For the fact that your lover boy was present at the scene of the crime._" She clarified. "_I know how much you were hoping he wasn't the perp._"

"He's innocent until proven otherwise." Zechs still fought, Noin sighing on the other end.

"_Zechs-_"

"Look, I'm really tired." He lied, not wanting to talk about it anymore. "I think I'm going to catch up on some well-deserved sleep."

"_Alright. I'll bring you up to date with the autopsy as soon as I'm done._"

"Uh huh."

"_Good night, Zechs._"

He didn't respond with a good night of his own, merely hung up the phone and threw it down on the bed beside him. He wanted nothing more than to just fall asleep as he said he was going to do, but as it was, he was temporarily plagued with insomnia. He looked to the television, ready to turn it off when something caught his eye.

As the reporter continued to babble on about the top story, he was aware of a dark figure that passed behind the man. It seemed like a blur. Perhaps he was seeing things? Curiosity got the better of him and he reached for his remote, pausing the man in mid-sentence. Who ever invented TiVo was a genius. He rewound, his eyes waiting for the blur to pass by again. When it did he stopped it, letting it play back as slowly as possible. He paused when the image was on the screen, his face frowning as he recognized the man the blur took the form of.

"Well I'll be damned."

He let his arm drop limply to his side as violet eyes stared back at him, the smile on the man's face sending a shiver down his spine. This was getting a bit too weird.

xoxoxox

Wufei opened his eyes to be greeted with the dim lighting and stifling silence of an empty room. He had been sure that there were others in here earlier. In fact, he could remember two young women and a kind old man. He couldn't quite remember but he was sure that Quatre had been here, along with two others. He heard a small snore and he turned his head to see who it came from. He found that it came from the old man who was now asleep in a chair.

His stomach growled and in a fit of panic he pulled back the sheets, wide eyes looking down. He sighed in relief to find nothing, one arm instantly laying across it in a protective manner. It had only been a dream; a horrible dream. The sudden feeling of being watched he was unable to ignore and he looked up to find now standing beside the man was a woman. He could tell however that she was no ordinary woman.

She stepped forward and Wufei stilled, his ebony eyes studying her carefully. He stiffened as she reached the bed, gently seating herself beside him and reaching a hand out. Gently it rested against his forehead, testing for a temperature. Wufei shivered at the touch; her hand was like ice. She finally pulled it away with a satisfied sound and then brought her hand close to her lips. In horror Wufei watched as she pierced the skin of her palm with her teeth, before holding it out in offering for him. Wide eyes stared down at it in confusion and awe. What was she trying to do? Did she think he was a vampire? With a small shake of his head, he silently refused the offer and the woman merely nodded in understanding.

"It would seem the Spellbinder has done his work well." She began, standing from the bed. "He has healed you, even though you drank My Lady's blood."

Wufei felt his stomach clench at the words. He had what? He let his mind travel over the events of the night that he could remember and as luck would have it, he could taste blood on his tongue. Oh gods, was he going to become a vampire? No, she had distinctly said he had been healed. Quatre had kept true to his word and had protected him from such a fate.

"Where is Quatre?" He asked her, the woman turning to look at him.

"Quatre?" She asked in confusion, before it lit in recognition. "He was taken to another room to find his rest there."

Wufei noticed the traces of hurt and jealousy on the vampire's voice, but he didn't have the gall to question it. Besides, this woman was a stranger and he had rather not get to know her. He had had enough with vampires and witches. He only wished for his life to return to normal. Though he doubted that it would happen. Not when he was having disturbing dreams of something trying to claw its way out of him.

"Will you not return to sleep?" The woman suddenly asked, thankfully pulling Wufei from his thoughts. "You are still weak. Trowa stole a lot from you; you must regain your strength."

Trowa? So that was his name. He watched the woman return to Wesley's side, her hand gently stroking the gray locks.

"What is _your_ name?" She suddenly asked.

Wufei hesitated as her blue eyes looked to him. He had no idea why she wanted to know his name and though he didn't want to give it to her he still wasn't sure what would happen if he didn't.

"Chang Wufei."

"Do not fret, Wufei." She assured him gently with a soft smile. "You are safe here. I will not harm you, I have already fed. My name is Relena Dorian."

She then looked down to the old man who was muttering something or the other in his sleep.

"And this is Wesley. He played a part in your survival."

The two were interrupted by the sound of the door opening and they both looked in its direction. Wufei recognized the man; it was Trowa, as he had heard Relena call him. He had been the one to save him and then had taken the leisure of feeding on him. As he looked into jade eyes, he read the silent apology and guilt, though he was still a bit nervous about being in the same room as him. The blonde woman was easy to remember as well, her appearance had caused his heart to thunder. It was not in fear, however. It was more in excitement. He could still taste her on his tongue and as unnerving as it was, his body was still calling for her blood.

"Why so tense, Wufei?" Dorothy asked, catching the boy's unease. "Surly you aren't afraid?"

He only shook his head, not trusting his voice to work at the moment. From the corner of his eye, he saw Relena shift and he watched as she moved closer to the other vampiress, Dorothy easily taking her by the waist. He couldn't help but blush as he suspected an intimacy more than friendship between the two. He let his eyes land on Trowa again and was shocked to find the vampire now standing directly in front of him. How had he moved so fast? Why was more the question. Trowa merely stood over him, his brows furrowed into a frown as he studied the Chinese young man. Pale fingers reached out after a while and Wufei gasped as they gently stroked his neck.

"The scars I left you are gone." He commented, almost sadly.

Wufei would have responded, but he was cut short as Trowa's hand slowly traced over his chest and followed an invisible path to his stomach. It rested there for a few agonizing moments, Wufei's eyes watching down nervously. Did Trowa know somehow what he had dreamed? Then again, could he have been the one to send him those dreams? That accusation was discarded as quickly as it came. What purpose would that suit for Trowa?

"You are hungry?" The banged vampire finally asked.

Wufei didn't know what to answer, so his stomach chose for him, growling at that precise moment. Now that he thought about it, he was starving. Trowa merely smiled at him, before finally removing his hand and standing from the bed.

"I'll take you to the pantry before I turn in for the day." He offered, helping Wufei to stand from the bed. "When Wesley awakens he'll come and find you."

Wufei wasn't so sure if he wanted this guy to lead him anywhere, but he figured what did he have to lose?

xoxoxox

Duo sat lounging on a couch of the many random rooms of his prison. He was avoiding the one man, or rather demon that he had come to despise even more. This Delinos was using his body to do his will. What exactly said will was the creature would not explain, but Duo didn't fret. He'd find out soon enough. He had been angry after his initial bout of shock. When that had passed he had been enraged and had managed a very damaging attack on the demon. Well at least on Treize's body. When Duo's violence began to recede the body was shed, repaired and replaced. In here, in his mind, Delinos was Treize but out there. . . he didn't want to think about it, it was much too disturbing.

One of his hands grazed the carpeted floor, brushing against an object that felt colder than him. He lifted it to place it in his other hand, dangling the glittering object above him. His violet eyes watched in wonder as his mind traveled through what little memories he had managed to acquire. He followed the blood red gem as it swung back and forth with his mind beginning to stray. He remembered being a boy once, he wasn't always a vampire. As he continued to watch the ruby swing back and forth he felt himself slipping, his eyes closing as he traveled back in time.

xoxoxPASTxoxox

Violet eyes opened as he was jerked awake by large hands and Duo looked up to find a large man glaring down at him. He scrambled to get up from the ground of the filth ridden alley he had taken refuge in. He had been shirking his duties again and it would seem the shopkeeper had found out. Duo worked to make a few coins to help him survive. Being recently made an orphan; he had to fend for himself at the age of six. Being so young, he tended to stray from his responsibilities from time to time, having to deal with the consequences when his employer found out. His current boss glared down at him with beady brown eyes, before he grabbed Duo by the collar.

"Useless little bugger!" The man shouted, his hand ripping across Duo's face.

The boy fell, a pained whimper escaping his throat at the force of the hit. Scared eyes looked back up to the shopkeeper who just happened to be readying himself for another attack. He scrambled away, barely escaping reaching fingers, and ran from the alley into the crowded market street. He weaved his way through the crowd, the shopkeeper's voice growing fainter the further he ran. He was now out of a job, he would never be allowed back and he was sure he didn't want to go back.

His legs took him in a familiar direction to a well-known place and he felt his unease subsiding as he climbed the chapel steps. He quickly ran inside, passing by the few worshipers that sat praying in the pews. He stopped only when he collided with a well-known person, small arms hugging onto tall legs to draw their attention to him.

"Duo, what is it?"

He finally looked up into gentle brown eyes, resident to a handsome face, and he only shook his head before burying his face into the fabric of the priest's robe. A hand rested on the top of his head and he was then led to a pew where the young priest sat him down for a thorough explanation. When he seated the boy onto the wooden bench, it was then he noticed the forming bruise and he frowned as he reached out to caress it.

"What happened, Duo?" The Father asked him.

The little boy only shook his head again, unwilling to tell the details. The man only sighed, knowing that the boy would never say. He had an idea of what had happened, but he kept it to himself. He was used to Duo's visits and he understood that the boy was only here to escape whomever it was that was after him at that particular moment.

"It's hard isn't?" He asked the boy, who wasn't really paying attention.

His eyes were busy staring at the large crucifix that sat behind the alter. A hand rested on his shoulder to grab his attention and violet eyes looked up to the priest.

"You can stay here if you like." The man offered, not knowing what else to do. "I don't like that you're out there on your own. You may just get into trouble that I can't help you with."

The young boy only offered the man a smile and a shake of his head. Father Brown sighed, not sure what to do now. He truly didn't like Duo being out on his own. He belonged in the orphanage, but he refused to be put there. He already had been, but being a stealthy little boy, he had managed to escape; three times. So he was then left alone and welcomed whenever he returned.

"Father Brown, evening mass is approaching."

Father Brown looked up to another priest, who stood patiently beside him and he nodded in understanding. He'd have to deal with Duo later, if the boy hadn't left by then. He turned back to face the boy, only to find him gone, his eyes looking around the church and finding no trace of him. It was a wonder how he moved so fast. Well, he was gone again and there was no saying when he'd be back. He only hoped that he wouldn't get into any more trouble. Standing from the pew, Father Brown followed the other priest to get ready for evening mass.

xoxoxox

Duo walked leisurely down the pathway of the market place, having returned in hopes of finding food. Unfortunately, there was nothing that was edible of the food that was on the ground, everything being rotten or worse. He managed his way through the last of the crowd, a new set of people crawling out from their homes. Whores and drunkards, and the rich who were on their way to balls and celebration. He always did like the night life better, it was easier to lurk in the dark and no one paid any mind to a six year old boy.

His feet were soon taking him past the grand hall that belonged to a very important lord or the other, his violet eyes staring in wonder at the different coaches that pulled up in front of the gates. Well-dressed men and woman were climbing out of them, Duo admiring their clothes from afar. Behind him he could hear the loud ruckus of an inn, where he had meant to go into hoping that a drunken fool had dropped his coins on the floor. He was however much distracted by the new coach that pulled up, his body shivering as if it knew what was inside.

Childlike curiosity kept him glued in his spot and he watched as the black painted coach slowed to a stop. What exactly was behind the coach doors? He watched with growing anxiety as the coachman climbed down from his perch to pull open the doors. The first to step out was a gentleman, Duo smiling at his funny looking hair. It fell in his face, hiding away one half of it as if it were meant to be a secret. The man was soon helping out a woman and Duo froze as her eyes connected with his, his heart thundering as his skin broke out in a cold sweat. Run, that's what his body wanted him to do. His eyes left hers and landed on the gentleman's, feeling his panic rise again and then he was off running back to a familiar sanctuary.

xoxoxox

Father Brown had been praying when Duo found him, the man being startled as Duo hugged on to him, though he should be used to it by now. He stopped his prayers short to look down at the boy, his face frowning as he found Duo was trembling, his eyes clenched shut so as not to see. What had he seen to make him so scared?

"Duo?"

"Are monsters real, Father?" The small boy asked suddenly, having spoken for the first time since his parents had passed.

The priest wasn't sure how he was meant to answer that question, but even if he had an answer, Duo was going to hear what he wanted to.

"Please tell me they aren't." The child begged, looking up into brown orbs with desperate eyes.

The fear in the child's eyes overwhelmed him and the Father found he could do nothing else but what Duo suggested. He gently rested a hand on Duo's hair to soothe him and offered him a gentle smile.

"Monsters aren't real, Duo." He told him, watching the boy relax.

Duo nodded at the words, hugging tighter to the priest. Monsters weren't real; the Father had said so. He had no idea what he had laid eyes on tonight, but they weren't monsters, they didn't exist after all.

xoxoxox

It had been three nights since Duo had encountered the man and woman, and he had spent his nights in the comfort of the church curled up by Father Brown's side. The other men of the parish disapproved of this, exclaiming that it was most improper and that Duo belonged in the orphanage with the other children. Father Brown merely gave the excuse that Duo had been having nightmares and it calmed him to not be alone.

When Duo had found that their disapproving stares had become too much, he decided he'd brave the nights outside, much to Father Brown's dismay. He didn't like that Duo was going to be alone out there, especially with this new found fear of monsters but he let him go, knowing that he'd return if anything were to happen.

The six year old boy once again walked the streets, a small smile gracing his lips as he merrily skipped down the torch lit path. He had been begging tonight with another group of small children and they had managed a few coins. He was given his share, one copper, and was off to buy a piece of bread. He had forgotten to take food from the church before he left, so now he was quite hungry.

"Oi!"

The call stopped him in his tracks and he turned to see a grubby older boy waving at him. Duo frowned, never having seen this boy before or if he had, he didn't remember his face. The boy came closer, red hair as filthy as the rest of him, his freckles almost blending in with the dirt that speckled his face.

"Care to try your hand at gaining more than that copper?" The boy asked as he stopped in front of Duo.

The braided boy cradled it close to his chest protectively. How did he know that he had a coin? It had been hidden in his palm the entire time. Though, he was curious as to what the boy was speaking of. With more than one measly copper he would be able to afford a hot meal.

"How?" He questioned.

The boy only smiled before he was grabbing onto Duo and leading him off. Duo hesitated a bit but soon allowed himself to be dragged off. There was a chance the boy would only take him to privately bully him for his coin. However, as Duo noticed the excited look in his eyes he began to doubt the thought.

"There it is." The boy cried out, walking faster. "That coach up ahead. I saw them packing in a bunch of treasure."

Duo gasped at the familiar black coach and he pulled away with a jerk, ready to flee for his life. He didn't want to go anywhere near that thing. _They_ had been in that very coach a few nights ago. He had no intentions of meeting them personally. He couldn't get far, for he was grabbed and turned to face the older boy again.

"Come on then." He said impatiently. "You don't know what you're giving up. We'll just grab one piece each."

"No!" Duo shouted, struggling against the hold.

"Come on you little bugger. If you don't want any for yourself just watch the cart while I grab me a bit."

Duo didn't want to agree, but he also had a feeling that if he didn't, his own bit of money would be in jeopardy. He had worked hard for it and he didn't want to lose it to the likes of the older boy. He reluctantly nodded and allowed himself to be led to the cart.

"Stay here and keep a look out." The red-head ordered before opening the coach door and climbing in.

Duo stood watch nervously, his small hands clutching to his copper coin. He didn't like standing here in the open. He especially didn't like the thought that the cart he now stood beside belonged to two people he never wanted to set his eyes on again.

The coach door opened and Duo watched as something fell out. He quickly bent to retrieve it, as his recent partner climbed down with a giddy laugh. His pockets were filled to the points of ripping and his hands were just as full. He smiled to Duo, who was too busy admiring the blood red ruby that was hanging at the end of a thin gold chain.

"Hey, give that here!" The older boy objected. "It's mine!"

"What are you little bastards doing!"

The two boys were startled at the angry voice, looking up to find a man charging in their direction. They scrambled, in their haste colliding into each other. Duo being of small stature was the one to fall back and the other boy left him behind, running off down the road. Duo barely had time to get up before he was grabbed in a menacing hold by the wrist of the hand which held the jewelry.

"I'll teach you to steal what isn't yours."

Duo whimpered as the man reared his hand back, his eyes clenching closed as he waited for the hit, but it never came.

"That's no way to treat a child, Bethran."

At the voice, Duo slowly opened violet eyes, his body growing rigid at the sight of the man from the other night. Green eyes lowered to his and Duo felt like pulling away, especially when the hand that had stayed Bethran's reached out for him. Gently, cold fingers took his free hand, turning it so that his palm was facing up and he slowly unclenched his fingers to reveal the copper coin.

"The little bugger-"

"Bethran please!" The green-eyed man said sharply.

As his servant fell silent, he focused his attention on the boy, looking to violet eyes with a silent question.

"Did you take this from me?" He asked.

Duo quickly shook his head, struggling to be free from both the adults' hold.

"No, sir." He pleaded. "This is mine. I earned it, I swear."

"Be still." The man gently urged him and Duo submitted. "And what of the necklace?"

"He stole it, Master Trowa, I saw him!" Bethran exclaimed.

Trowa only gave him a glare, the man falling silent with a small apology. Then he turned back to Duo, the boy beginning to cry. This wouldn't do at all.

"I didn't take it." The boy sobbed with a shake of his head. "Please, sir, don't hurt me. I only picked it up from the ground. I wasn't going to steal it."

The banged man held a hand up to silence his servant who had opened his mouth to speak. Then his hand released Duo and he bid Bethran to do the same. The man did so reluctantly, sneering down at the orphan the entire time. Trowa then knelt in front of the hiccupping boy, taking the necklace from small fingers and unclasping it. He reached out, Duo freezing as his hands went around his neck, refastening the necklace so that the ruby was now resting against his chest.

"Don't cry." Trowa cooed, wiping the boy's tears. "Don't mar such a pretty face."

It was a pretty face indeed, one that would be much prettier as he grew older and Trowa smiled at the thought. He would love to watch this child grow older; however he had no business wanting this child. At least not now; he was far too young. He tucked the necklace safely under Duo's tunic, shushing the boy's silent sobs all the while, before gently lifting him into his arms.

"You can keep it." He told him, aware of the sour look on Bethran's face.

He paid it no mind, turning to the coach and climbing in with the now quieting Duo in his arms. They sat comfortably in the seat, Trowa stroking Duo's unkempt hair as the boy rested against him, perched in his lap. Perhaps he should take the boy back to where he belonged? He was sure that this one was an orphan, like so many others that roamed the streets.

"Master?" Bethran asked just outside the coach, unsure of what he was to do.

"We'll take him home, Bethran." Trowa ordered, looking down at a now sleeping Duo. "Dorothy will understand our being late."

With a sigh of defeat, Bethran nodded at his master's command. He didn't much care for the boy that now sat in his lap, but if his Master wanted to take him home then that's what he'd do. He closed the door to the coach and was soon seated in his chair and leading them off toward the chapel on the edge of town.

xoxoxox

Father Brown had been worrying all day. Duo had left earlier this morning and had yet to return. It could mean that the boy was hurt. He had known that Duo's recent residence at the church would be short lived, but he had hoped against all hope that the boy would return. The knock at the chapel doors stirred him from his worrying and he rose from where he knelt trying to pray to make his way to the doors. In his haste, he opened the doors, stopping as his heart seemed to be grabbed in a cold grip. Duo was nestled peacefully in some man's arms; a man that Father Brown had a feeling was more dangerous than he looked.

"Father Brown?" Trowa calmly greeted, aware of the man's distrust.

He was used to this reaction. Mortals seemed to know when they were faced with something that was not of this world, so to speak. He looked down at the sleeping child, resisting the urge to plant a kiss atop the boy's head, before his eyes were looking back at the priest. Father Brown only nodded, his hands finally releasing the doors.

"And may I inquire as to who _you_ are?" He questioned, never having seen this face before.

It was someone he would definitely remember, especially with those eyes, eyes that seemed to know more than Father Brown could ever hope of contemplating.

"I'm Trowa Barton." He introduced himself with a smile. "My lady friend and I have just sailed in from Venice. London is a wonderful city, if I do say so myself."

Father Brown nodded in a polite gesture, though he wasn't really listening to what the man was saying. His mind was much too focused on the small bundle in Trowa's arms. He wanted to reach out and snatch the boy away and put his mind at ease that Duo was safe with him. Trowa must have guessed the priest's agitation, for he held Duo out slowly in offering.

Father Brown was quick to receive him, holding Duo in a way so that the boy was leaning on his shoulder as small arms wrapped around his neck. Unconsciously, Father Brown placed a kiss to Duo's head, hugging onto him in relief. Trowa was sure to hide his sudden jealousy, it would not fare well if he were to attack the Father for one quick moment of envy.

"Where did you find him?" The Father inquired, looking back to Trowa. "Is he alright?"

"He's fine Father." Trowa assured him, muscles tensing as Father Brown placed another kiss to Duo's head. "My servant found him alongside my coach and thought he was stealing."

"Duo never steals!" The priest burst out, insulted for the child in his arms.

"I never accused him of doing such. I know he didn't steal anything."

Father Brown calmed considerably and he let his attention stray from Trowa somewhat to focus on the orphan that was softly snoring. He knew he should have never let Duo out of his sight today; he should have made him stay here with him.

Trowa watched the priest carefully, hearing his every thought and wanting nothing more than to snatch Duo away from him. Dorothy had told him that he was the only man she knew that fell in love at first sight, and as he watched the boy sleeping in Father Brown's arms, he knew that she was right.

"Thank you for returning him." The Father began, wanting to send Trowa on his way. "I appreciate your kindness. I believe I shall take Duo to bed now. Bless you my son, for bringing him back to me. I don't know if I would have been able to live with myself had anything happened to him."

So the boy had a protector. That meant it would be difficult to take him away. Of course, Trowa was sure he would find a way. There was always a way.

"Good evening, Father." Trowa said in departure.

Father Brown bid him the same, watching as the man turned to leave and feeling his body relax as Trowa was no longer there. He rested his head gently against Duo's, his nose nuzzling the long locks in fatherly affection. Duo would sleep with him tonight and to hell what any of the other priests thought. He wasn't letting Duo out of his sight for the rest of the night.

xoxoxPRESENTxoxox

Duo was drawn from his memories as Treize stepped into the room, the man's face showing that he was still a bit upset about the attack. Duo only looked at him before turning his attention back to the ruby necklace, which he soon had hanging from his neck so that the familiar weight of it comforted him.

"Do I still wear it?" He asked, not once looking in Treize's direction.

"You would not allow me to remove it. Your memories were too strong and even with little control of your mind, you fought me."

He watched Duo finger the gem, before the vampire was rising from the couch and walking over to a newly lighted corner of the room. Shadows were fading in his mind and his memories were coming back slowly but surely. He let his hands pick up a portrait of Trowa, wanting nothing more than to have him here. Treize seemed to sense his longing and stepped forward, ready to make sure that Duo would never need that vampire again.

"Surely, you haven't forgotten his other child?" He questioned, gently turning Duo to face right.

There on the wall hung a portrait of Heero and Treize felt satisfaction as Duo's hands splintered the wood frame of the portrait that he was holding. It was easier to control the vampire when he was distracted with rage and hate; dark emotions that weakened the soul. That is of course if this creature had a soul to start with. He was pulled from his mind by Duo's voice, the vampire having asked a question he hadn't been paying attention to.

"Excuse me?" He asked, hoping the braided immortal would repeat it.

"Sunrise." Was the single word Duo gave him before walking off. "I need to sleep during the day, or have you so easily forgotten?"

Treize watched him leave regretfully. He was hoping that the man would keep him company, but it would seem that Duo had no interest in doing so. Besides, Duo was right. Sunrise was fast approaching and he had to keep the borrowed body somewhere away from the sun to spend the day. There would always be tonight when he'd awaken again.

He turned to a mirror, staring into it and watching as his reflection formed another face. This one with ebony eyes and a smaller frame. He smiled as he watched the boy intensely, wanting nothing more than to reach for him. He'd have to wait for this one as well, but if things went according to plan he wouldn't have to wait that long.

xoxoxox

Trowa stared into the darkness of the coffin, his arms wrapped securely around Dorothy, the younger vampire having been asleep for some time now. The sun had drawn her into her false death, but Trowa was having trouble. Memories of long ago had begun to plague his mind, violet eyes looking up at him in fear as they met for the first time. The fear had gradually changed over the years, and then it had become a sense of awe and then a desire that Trowa was unable to resist.

He lifted a hand to run it through Dorothy's hair, pulling the female vampire closer to him as well. She had told him at first to let the boy stay where he was, and when he had refused, she had watched him grow under Trowa's wing. She was the one who told Duo everything and she was the one that told him of immortality. That was what had brought on Duo's sudden want of this cursed life. Trowa could remember it as if it were not centuries ago. Duo had begged, had pleaded and even threatened, all for Trowa to grant him that immortal kiss.

Trowa resisted, Dorothy left, and Duo left as well. A month later he was back on Trowa's doorstep half dead. He had caught the plague and was sure to die before the week was out. As he was wont to do in times like these, Trowa found his way to Dorothy and asked her advice. She took the first move and Trowa had no choice but to save Duo. At first he had regretted it, but gradually he accepted it. He had fallen in love with the boy ever since he was a child and now he had him for all eternity.

"Or so I thought." Trowa said to himself, his eyes watering. "It seems that I've lost you."

And he was losing more than he could stand to lose. His mind strayed to his youngest and his heart clenched at the thought of the blue-eyed nightwalker. Heero had almost killed him last night and most likely would have if the witch hadn't been there to reason with him. Why had he felt so scared at that moment? He had wanted to die, and was still going to. Why then did that moment of near death petrify him?

"Your betrayal hurt me." He murmured tiredly, feeling his eyes begin to droop. "I didn't want to die by your hands. I didn't want to die with my last thoughts being that my child had turned on me; just like I had done to my own master."

He finally succumbed to his death-like sleep, with his mind finally blanking with that last realization.

xoxoxox

Wufei had been shown to the pantry as Trowa had promised and left alone for the short while until the butler had come to see to him. By the time Wesley, as Wufei learned his name to be, had arrived he had already managed in making himself a sandwich with some left over pot roast he found in the fridge. However, now that he was here, Wesley insisted on helping the boy. So Wufei was fed a hearty breakfast as well, which much to Wufei's surprise, he had eaten every last bit of. He was then told to take a tour of the premises, Wesley warning him not to disturb Quatre, and then promising him lunch in a few hours.

Wufei only nodded, having felt quite calm in the man's presence and assured when he was sent off on his own. If anything went wrong, he had a feeling that Wesley would manage it without trouble. The house was big, a manor and yet much smaller. He had managed to get lost and found himself in front of what looked like a very heavy door. He had wanted to enter but a sudden feeling of foreboding took over him. Whatever was in there was giving off a feeling of "do not disturb" and he felt it best to do just that. So he had turned on his heels and headed upstairs.

There he found a small study that had been recently occupied and destroyed by the looks of it. Curiosity drew him in and he entered with tentative steps, careful so as not to further damage anything else. His eyes narrowed onto the bookcase, the only thing that had managed to survive whatever had happened and without much thought he was in front of it. A book was in his hand before he could stop himself and said book was opened to the first page, Wufei frowning at the unfamiliar language the words were written in.

Well they weren't unfamiliar at all; from what he could tell, it seemed as if it were Italian. He didn't know Italian. With a sigh, Wufei replaced the book, pausing as he came across another. He pulled it free with a smile on his face as his fingers leafed through the pages. He did know English however. His eyes ran over the words, noting that it was a journal, marked back to the fourteenth century. He managed to find a seat on what was left of a couch and he curled up in it to begin reading.

**I have never felt such want as much as I have now. I am ashamed to say that I have been smitten by a child. An innocent boy with a cherubic face like the angels and here I am, wanting nothing more but to have him. To keep him and watch him grow, to love him, to make him mine. Am I wrong for wanting another, when Dorothy has provided me with companionship and love for years? I stalk him for hours, long into the night until the sun itself chases me away. He just may very well be the end of me. Am I unsavory for watching this child at night, through the windows of the church, wanting nothing more than to hold him in my arms? Such unholy thoughts when I am in the surrounding area of a sacred dwelling, but how can I resist him? La mia piccola morte.(2) Duo, I will never have peace of mind now that I have met you, until I have managed a way to make you mine. You will always haunt me.**

Wufei's eyes widened at the words on the page, his hands nearly dropping the book as they became limp. It would seem he wasn't the only one that Duo seemed to be haunting. Wufei took a deep breath before returning to the book again. He was now more than curious and wouldn't be satisfied until he had found out what exactly the connection was between these two.

T.B.C.

I try to make it less confusing and I end up making it more so. It'll be dragging for a while because I want to visit the past through flashbacks and memories and the likes. You know, let you see how who met who and why this happened and yadda yadda yadda. I hope you're enjoying it. This is probably the hardest thing I've ever written and I don't think it's coming out that well, but you guys seem to like it. And now translations.

(1) Do not leave me, my love.

(2) My little death.

Thank you for reading and I hope you leave reviews. Please leave reviews. I'll love you lots and lots if you do.


	10. Chapter 9

Author's Note: I must apologize for the late update. My mind has been distracted of late. That and I had writer's block for this particular chapter. Fear not, that moment has passed and I give you this.

Warnings: I have to warn that my knowledge of Wiccan holidays is very minute. I did very lazy research and threw stuff in there. I apologize in advance for any Wiccans and such that I offend. Of course, there's the usual OOCnes and all the other warnings I've been babbling about in the last chapters. Carry on.

xoxoxox

Blue eyes looked up at the clock that hung over the door of his office, fingers impatiently tapping on the desk as the time was taken in. It was now a quarter past eleven and Chang Wufei had yet to show. With a sigh Zechs leaned back into his chair, a hand rising to tiredly rub his face. He had barely gotten any sleep last night. His discovery of the man he had met a few nights ago had peaked his curiosity and he tried his best to search for any and everything he could find on him. However, since all he had to go on was a picture, there wasn't much he could do. The man wasn't a criminal or at least he wasn't a known criminal. There were no mug shots of him that Zechs could find. He had fallen asleep at his computer and was snatched from sleep by the sound of his phone.

It had been a wakeup call from Noin, the woman telling him he had better get his ass to work. She would be stopping by today with some results from the autopsy of their latest victim. Une had called as well, but he hadn't bothered to answer. He let the call go to his machine. It was an apology obviously, but a half assed one at that. She announced that she would be there as well, but long before Wufei's meeting with the detective. She had indeed stopped by; in fact he had met her here when he had arrived earlier this morning. She offered him coffee, he declined and then she started. She informed him that he had no other choice but to arrest Chang Wufei until there was more convincing evidence to prove that he wasn't responsible for the last four murders.

"I understand that you have a hunch, Zechs." She had explained to him. "But that's not enough. You have to start thinking like a cop again. He's the only suspect we have and until we have another, we have to take him in. If we don't, the higher ups will be on our asses. You have no choice."

He hadn't answered her and it seemed that she didn't need one. She took her leave, informing him that there was a warrant for the boy's arrest waiting for him with Melissa. After she was gone, Zechs began his wait for the ebony-haired young man. He had been contemplating what to do and it was obvious that he would have to make the arrest. Violet eyes flashed through his mind and he clenched his fist. That man, whoever he was, why did Zechs have a feeling that he was very important?

His phone rang and he quickly answered, hoping it to be Wufei. He was disappointed to find that it wasn't. Handling whatever business it was, he quickly hung up, his eyes looking to the clock again. Now it was half past the hour and he no longer had any patience left. Standing from his desk, he headed for the coat rack, snatching his overcoat off of it and quickly placing it on. He stormed out into the main office, heading for Melissa's desk. The woman had begun to smile at him, but it faded as she caught sight of the angered look on the blond detective's face.

"Is everything okay, Detective?" She asked him, curious as to what had caused his bad mood.

"I need the warrant for the arrest of Chang Wufei."

He needed to speak to Wufei and if this was the only way to do it, then so be it.

xoxoxox

Sally walked into her office building with a small frown fitted on her face. She had been called in today by another witch, who had insisted that she come in, there was something of grave importance that she had to show her. Reluctantly, the elder witch had agreed and she dragged herself from her bed and down to the small building that her coven used as a base. She and the other witches did more than practice witchcraft; they were responsible for keeping the supernatural in their proper places. It was hard and tiring work, and Sally would have wanted to enjoy her day off. However, when another witch deemed something important, Sally found it best not to ignore it. It usually ended up being a disturbance that needed to be dealt with.

She smiled at her two secretaries who sat at their desks on either side of the elevator doors. They smiled in return, one of them handing Sally her messages, the other a cup of coffee. She thanked them both, walking to the elevator and pushing the button. The pig-tailed witch skimmed through her messages, looking for one in particular. She sighed as nothing showed up, the elevator dinging to alert her of its arrival. She had ridden it up to her office, slowly sipping her coffee while her mind wandered.

She had been thinking of her youngest male apprentice, who had come to her a few days ago in search of information on an ancient vampire. Though she didn't want to, she had sent him to him and now she had yet to hear from Quatre. She was beginning to worry about him. Perhaps she had sent him to his death? No, that was impossible. Trowa would never have taken the chance to break the pact. That would make him open to any and all attempts of consequence for his treason. Not to mention it would endanger any and all offspring that he had. The vampire wasn't that stupid, so it was safe to say that Quatre was fine. He just had yet to get back to her.

She reached her office in due time, entering the large room and greeting the few witches that were sorting through the various books on her shelves. They were never truly in order, since they were always used as much as possible. At her desk a young woman waited, her hands nervously toying with a piece of quartz that was hanging from her neck. Sally frowned at the behavior, something had agitated her and it was best to find out what as soon as possible.

"Good Morning, Kendra." She greeted as she drew closer. "Now that I'm here, what exactly is so important?"

The young woman waited until her elder was seated at her desk, greeting her with a good morning of her own. Sally noted that her eyes were circled, and her red locks were frizzy and in some sort of disarray. The girl had been up all night obviously and had been in the back vaults where the scrolls were kept, if the dust in her fire-colored locks were anything to go by.

"Sally, what day is it?"

"Tuesday." Sally answered, not quite sure of the question.

The girl only shook her head and Sally sighed.

"The twentieth." She clarified.

Kendra gave a sound of agitation before she was rolling out a calendar on Sally's desk. It marked Wiccan holidays and Sally tried to decipher what the reason for showing her this was.

"What holiday is near?" Kendra asked her.

"Well, Yule, which happens to be tomorrow." Sally told her "I'm not quite sure why this is so important. The party hasn't been canceled has it?"

Kendra ignored her question, her hands busying with unrolling a scroll, one she had obviously been looking for in the vaults. Sally frowned as she looked down at the old calendar revealed before her. It seemed to be marked with unusual holidays. Why would Kendra show her this?

"Kendra, this is the Celto-Roman calendar. Why would you show me this?"

Kendra merely pointed at a particular date, Sally slowly following the woman's finger as it pointed down at the scroll. Blue eyes widened as she recognized the date, but why would she need to know that this day was coming?

"Kendra, what year is it?"

"The fifth year of the new millenium." The red-haired witch provided. "In six days the Killing of the Wren will pass."

Sally felt her stomach wrench as her eyes stared down blankly at the scroll. Her body was now fitted with a cold sweat and she was unable to think clearly. This couldn't be true; there was no way that this was true.

"He'll rise that day." Kendra announced, her voice trembling. "He'll rise and open the Gates of Hell, bearing down on this world until there's nothing left."

Sally stood from her desk, rushing over to a book case and pulling on a book to release the trap door. Older books were revealed and she recognized that a few were missing. She had leant them to Quatre, which the young witch had yet to return. However, the book she needed was there and she grabbed it, flipping it open to the right page. She swore as she read the words. It would seem that she would have to postpone on any other days off for the moment.

"Has there been any signs that he's awake?"

"You mean Del-"

"Don't you dare!" Sally shouted, startling the young woman and the other witches in the room. "That name is never to be said aloud!"

Kendra nodded her head eagerly and Sally made her way back to her desk, dropping the book onto it and turning the page. She came to a picture of a man lying in the center of a symbol, his body bleeding so that the blood traced over the symbol. If things went as planned, it would never get that far and this little invocation would never come to pass. Her eyes lifted to look at Kendra, who stood anxiously awaiting some type of order, her fingers nervously twitching. Sally quickly pulled out pen and paper, scribbling a few words before thrusting it in Kendra's direction.

"Take this to either of my secretaries and make sure they get on that immediately. You try and get in contact with Quatre. I have some things to do or I'd do it myself. Go now!"

Kendra nodded and was soon off, rushing to the elevator that would take her downstairs. Sally dismissed the other witches and waited until they were all gone before she got to work. Pulling free a piece of chalk from her desk, she went to the center of the room before beginning to draw a pentagram. She had to get started on gathering energy now; there was a lot of work to be done.

"Why me?" She mumbled, carefully drawing out the symbol. "Why now?"

She would question again later, for now she had work to do.

xoxoxox

Quatre's eyes blinked open, blue-green orbs coming into focus on the unfamiliar ceiling. Where was he exactly? His head turned to look about the room, landing on the antique furniture that decorated the area. If he didn't know any better, he'd thought he had awakened in fourteenth century London. Slowly he sat up, aware that he was still a bit tired. He had been up late last night and aside from that, he had cast some very big spells. He was more than a little drained and if the growling in his stomach was anything to go by, he was hungry.

Pulling back the blankets, Quatre stood from the bed, stretching with a yawn. His feet carried him over to the heavily draped curtains and his hands reached out to pull them back. He gasped in shock as he was met with wooden boards haphazardly nailed across the glass pane. He had been wondering why it was so dim. He tried his best to peek through the cracks, where small amounts of sun were pouring in. From what he could tell, it was late afternoon, which meant there were only a few hours before sunset. A few hours before Trowa and the others were awake.

The sound of the bedroom door opening caught his attention and he turned to find the old man from last night entering the room. In his hand he carried a change of clothes, which Quatre suspected were for him.

"Ah, Master Winner, you're awake." Wesley greeted, closing the door behind him.

His eyes looked to where the boarded windows were now revealed and he sighed as he walked to the bed. He rested the clothes down before he was making his way to the blond young man and gently guiding him away from the window. His hands grabbed the curtains and pulled them back together, blocking out what little sun tried its best to push through. Quatre looked to the old man for an explanation and the butler merely turned to walk back towards the door.

"This used to be where the Masters slept. They've long relocated to a bedroom upstairs, however they spend their days in another room in the cellar."

Quatre looked over his shoulder to the drapes one more time, before he was moving to the bed and lifting the clothes into his hands. He thanked Wesley for them, wanting nothing more than to shower and change into them.

"Is Wufei up?"He questioned, his mind having remembered him. "Is he doing alright?"

"Your young friend is up and about." Wesley assured him with a gentle smile. "He's doing quite nicely. I believe he's in the study, if you wish to find him after you've gotten dressed."

"Thank you. I will."

With a nod, Wesley left the room, closing the door behind him and leaving Quatre by himself. It didn't take Quatre long to shower using the adjoining bathroom and he was dressed in warm clothes suitable for the winter weather of a deep green sweater and black slacks. His feet were still bare, but although the floor was tiled, it wasn't cold. He could stand to be without shoes for the moment. He was jolted with a bit of shock as he heard his cellphone ringing and he rushed to the nightstand to retrieve it.

"Hello?" He answered, not bothering to see who was calling.

"Quatre, Sally requires that you come down here immediately. There's something important that she must discuss with the coven."

Quatre recognized the voice and he sat on the bed to listen for the rest of the message. What was so important? He had in his right mind to question, but Kendra was speaking before he could even open his mouth.

"She also wants you to bring those books back. You have an hour."

The call was disconnected before he could even open his mouth and he let the phone fall from his ear. It wasn't like Sally to call a gathering for the entire coven without a proper explanation. Something was wrong and Quatre had a feeling that it wouldn't be pretty.

He stood from the bed, making his way to where his coat was hanging over a sofa and took to putting it on. When his socks and shoes were found, he pulled those on too before he was heading out of the room. He'd be back later to return the clothes, but for now he had to leave. He figured it would be best to take Wufei with him, he wasn't about to leave him alone with these creatures, whether they claimed to be his friends or not.

xoxoxox

Wufei closed another journal, having just finished reading the years of Trowa's life after he met Dorothy. It would seem that the journals weren't organized. He had jumped from Trowa's want of Duo, to his moving to New York and then back to his first encounter with Heero. He was to say a bit confused, but was easily piecing everything together. Duo had been Trowa's first child and Dorothy had been the one to help him make his decision.

The banged vampire had taken a dying Duo to her home, where they had tried their best with that century's modern medicines. However, Duo had still been dying and Trowa had left unable to face the boy's death. He returned only when Dorothy had found him, lingering in the shadows of an abandoned crypt and brought him back home. She showed him Duo, still sick but now dying from loss of blood. She had slit his throat and Trowa had at first reacted with anger.

He came to his senses for Duo's sake and turned the boy, Dorothy leaving soon after. With his new fledging, Trowa left London and ended up in Prussia. That was where that particular journal ended and Wufei had yet to find the one that began it again. He was now searching through the shelves, carefully removing and replacing, eagerly searching for another journal. He stopped at the sight of one he hadn't seen before, the handwriting inside different from that of Trowa's and he couldn't help but read the words.

**I cannot help but feel passionate distaste for this newcomer, this Heero that My Lady Dorothy has introduced us to. Father is too eager to please her, welcoming this boy from the Orient. I do not trust him. . . I wish him gone. Dorothy has assured me that in time I will come to like him, accept him and I merely laugh at her insistence. I told her I would never want him and if I weren't so sure of the consequences, I'd kill him. Trowa was informed of my intent and now he keeps Heero far from me. I do not care however, I merely bide the time. He cannot protect him forever and when given the chance, he will be a burden for us no longer. Perhaps there is a way that I myself do not have to soil my hands? Trowa has been stricken with more than fatherly affection towards Heero, perhaps a bit of coaxing can push him to an outcome I'd be delighted to see happen.**

Wufei's eyes widened as he read the last words. Duo had always been cruel, though Trowa had writ him as an angel in his own journals. The truth was seen in the pages of Duo's private journal. Heero had been changed by accident it would seem, meaning Duo had nearly gotten his way. He wondered what exactly the braided vampire had done to convince Trowa to try and end Heero's life. He was interrupted by the door opening and he turned to find Quatre in the doorway.

"Quatre?"

"I don't have time to explain." He began, walking into the room. "We have to go. Now."

Wufei didn't question, he only nodded before replacing the book from where it came. When he turned back to Quatre he was surprised by the hug that he was pulled into, the blond only pulling away enough to check over Wufei.

"I'm so glad you're alright." He older of the two murmured, his hand stroking Wufei's cheek. "I can't believe I almost lost you."

Wufei could do nothing but stare up into cerulean eyes, unsure of what to say or do. He had forgotten how much worry he must have put Quatre through, and he thought about apologizing. Then again it wasn't entirely his fault, though it probably would have been avoided had he kept still like Quatre told him.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he found Quatre moving closer and he wasn't sure what was bound to happen. His breath hitched as his friend leaned in closer, their lips brushing for almost an instant; that is until Quatre's attention was drawn to the door at the sound of someone entering the room.

"Sorry to interrupt." Wesley began, aware of the blush now breaking over Quatre's cheeks. "I couldn't help but notice that you're dressed to leave. May I ask why?"

"Yes. I apologize, Wesley, but Wufei and I have to go."

The blond man finally let go of his friend, the ebony-haired boy hung his head in an attempt to hide his own blushing face. He wasn't sure what had happened or why it had nearly happened, but he was glad for the old man's intrusion. Wesley nodded at Quatre's words, not attempting to push for the witch to further explain himself. He'd see to it that Master Heero be aware of Quatre's departure, though he was pretty sure that the vampire wouldn't need Wesley's help in figuring that out.

"We'll return as soon as we can." Quatre said in parting, now leading Wufei out. "Thank you for taking us in for the night."

Wesley only nodded, watching as the two left. He sighed as he looked about the wrecked study, wondering what exactly could have happened in here. There was no time to question its state, he just had to get it back to the way it was. With one last look around, he left the room in search of a broom.

xoxoxox

The car ride over to Wufei's, being that they had to stop there, was made in silence. Wufei unable to question Quatre's strange behavior of earlier and his nervous behavior now, while Quatre was much too embarrassed to say anything. Every time his eyes met Wufei's, he ended up losing his voice and blushing. He couldn't believe what had almost happened back in Trowa's study. He had never been so bold. Hell, he had never mentioned to Wufei the way he felt about the younger man.

He let himself focus on his driving instead of beating himself up for his earlier actions. It hadn't happened, so he was safe as long as Wufei never questioned him about it. The call of his name drew his attention to Wufei, turning to look at his friend in the passenger's seat. He felt his cheeks reddening and he focused on the road hoping that Wufei hadn't noticed.

"Yes, Wufei?"

"You just passed my building."

Quatre swore, stomping on the brakes hard enough that the car jerked. Wufei gripped the door handle in an attempt to stop himself from flying forward, having forgotten to put on his seatbelt. Quatre took to reversing the car, finding a parking spot in front of a hydrant and turning off the car.

"You can't park here." Wufei told him, watching his friend climb out.

"We won't be long." The blond assured him. "Come on."

Wufei followed with a shrug, climbing out of the car and walking to the building behind Quatre. They reached upstairs only to find a surprise in front of Wufei's door. The Asian boy frowned at the sight of Detective Marquise, who only frowned as the boy finally made an appearance. Quatre himself was confused, he had no idea who this man was and had no idea as to why he was here. Did Wufei know him?

"Detective?" Wufei began.

The older blond straightened from leaning on the door, stepping closer and pulling out the folded paper for Wufei to see. He handed it to him, Wufei looking down at it with a baffled expression.

"It's a warrant for your arrest, Wufei." Zechs explained before he could ask. "I'm here to take you in."

Quatre stiffened at the words before he was stepping in front of his younger friend in a protective manner. There was no way that Wufei was getting arrested; there was no reason that he should be. Zechs was taken by surprise by Quatre's movements and he studied the man in front of him. He wasn't sure why but something told him to take a step back, that though the shorter man seemed harmless he was quite dangerous.

"What are the charges, Detective?" Quatre questioned, wanting an explanation.

"Wufei's being taken in as the potential perpetrator to the murders of the last two nights." Zechs began, his arms crossing.

"He's innocent!" Quatre snapped, now overly protective.

He couldn't take Wufei away. There was no protection for him in jail. Besides, Wufei was innocent. They had no right to arrest him.

"That's not what our evidence shows us." Zechs continued, having to force the words out.

He himself could give a fuck about what the evidence showed. He was convinced that Wufei barely played any part in this other than an unfortunate reoccurring witness. However, the detective was in a position where he had to bring in someone and if he didn't, his ass was most definitely grass.

Quatre went to respond but Wufei's hand on his shoulder kept him quiet. He looked to where the boy now stood beside him, shaking his head so as to tell Quatre that this wasn't the way to handle things. He sighed warily before he turned back to the detective, taking a step back to show that he would comply. Wufei soundlessly sighed in relief. It seemed as if Quatre was willing to be charged with assault of an officer just for him. As thoughtful as it was, he didn't want that to happen to his friend.

"Quatre, it's alright." He assured him, hoping to calm the witch down. "I'll be alright."

As much as he wanted to object, Quatre knew he had no choice. He nodded his consent, before his eyes were connecting with Zechs', his dislike of the matter written on his face.

"I'll come down to the station as soon as I'm able." He told Wufei, his eyes never leaving the man in front of him. "Which station is it?"

"One hundred third precinct." Zechs offered, handing the shorter blond a card. "It's on Edward Byrne Avenue in Queens."

"I'll find it." Quatre promised, his voice low. "I'll make sure that I do."

Wufei was aware of the building tension and he moved to the detective, taking hold of the man's arm to start him on his way. The detective did as the boy wanted, though his eyes watched Quatre until they stepped onto the elevator. He looked to the Chinese teen once the doors closed, aware that Wufei seemed a bit different. He would have questioned but he found it best not to. He'd wait until they'd reached the precinct to interrogate him.

xoxoxox

Quatre had continued to watch after the two had left, moving only when he remembered that he had somewhere to be. Hopefully Sally didn't need him for long; he had to get to Wufei before sunset. It was already fifteen minutes past four. He unlocked the apartment door, rushing in and out with the books gathered in his hand. He then made his way downstairs and out the building, heading for his car.

Ignoring the ticket in his windshield wipers, he climbed in, starting the car and speeding off once he was out of his parking space. He was aware that he was going above speed limit, but he also didn't care. He had to get this over with as soon as possible. For some odd reason, everything seemed to have a sense of urgency and the faster he got through with it, the better.

xoxoxox

Sally was interrupted by the impatient knock on her door and she opened her eyes, nearly toppling from her knelt position in the center of the floor. As the knock came again, she stood on wobbling legs, trying her best not to fall back to the floor.

"Come in." She ordered softly, not sure if her visitor had heard.

She was sure when the door opened and a very impatient looking Quatre walked in. He studied the pentagram on the floor, his eyes rising to her with a silent question. Sally merely shook her head, not having the time to explain herself before she walked to her desk. She sat into her chair, resting back into it temporarily as her muscles relaxed into the cushioned leather.

"Did you bring the books?" She questioned.

Quatre nodded and she reached her hands out asking for them with the gesture. The blond complied, stepping forward and placing them in her hands. He sat at the chair in front of her desk, his blue eyes watching as she opened one of the books; the same book that held Trowa's name. She didn't get that far, instead she stopped at "D", Sally searching for a specific entry. When she found it she read it fervently, her face frowning as she came to an end.

"Goddess above, this can't be happening." She muttered, pushing the book away from her.

"What is it?" Quatre asked, his curiosity killing him.

Sally sighed and Quatre watched as she stood from her chair, arms crossed as she began wearily pacing about the room.

"In six days, the Killing of the Wren will come to pass." Sally began, aware of Quatre's confusion. "It is a Celto-Roman holiday that has to do much with which its name implies. However, as horrible as the holiday may seem, it is a holiday of a celebratory nature; perhaps just misunderstood."

"So if it's harmless, why bring it up?" Quatre questioned, sensing the hidden truth.

Sally stopped her pacing to look at her apprentice, studying him for a long while before she started again.

"Have you ever heard of demon whose name must not be said?"

Quatre frowned at that. How in the world was he supposed to know a demon whose name was never said? He shook his head no, and Sally walked back to her desk to pick up the book. She held it out for him and Quatre took it, looking down to where she pointed. He read the words, a short description on what demons were and then the list of those to be feared. He stopped on a particular name, as if it was drawing him to study it, his lips moving to say it.

"No!" Sally stopped him, pressing her hand to his mouth. "You must never speak it."

"Why not?" He questioned, as she removed her hand.

"He grows stronger every time he hears it, be it the loudest cry or the softest whisper."

"How can he grow stronger that way?" Quatre inquired, his eyes returning to the book.

"There is power in a name." She cautioned, returning to the desk.

She opened a draw, reaching out and pulling free a scroll to rest before Quatre. Aquamarine eyes looked it over, aware of the drawing of a sacrifice in vivid detail. Great, this looked as if it wouldn't turn out well.

"This demon is a demon of blood." Sally began, seating herself in her chair. "He thirsts for blood, to build his strength, so that he may return to the world that he was sent from. That is why his followers have been slain centuries ago, and why we witches watch over those that have been sealed away. However, it would seem that this particular demon has managed a chance, and from what I can tell he is getting powerful very quickly. In fact, he has already reached the full potential he must have to be free of his prison."

Quatre looked to his elder with a hint of worry troubling his face and his fingers gripped the book at the information Sally was giving him. A demon was trying to break free into the mortal realm? First vampires and now this, Quatre wasn't sure what to expect next.

"How did he manage it?" He asked, willing to learn what he could.

"Usually with a human host and he would murder innocent lives, drain the blood and offer it through a long and grueling ritual. Though, he has been gathering blood much too quickly."

The tilt of Quatre's head was a question of its own and Sally prepared herself to clarify.

"With a human doing the work of hosting his spirit, he is slowed down. A mortal vessel cannot handle his power for long and he finds himself going through hundreds of bodies, hundreds of years, before he even gains a quarter of his strength. However, it would seem he has managed a body that is far stronger than any mere mortal. He's been ready to cross for centuries, or so I'm able to read from him."

Quatre's eyes widened at the words. He was at full capacity? That meant he'd be ready to come free when he can. Sally could read him; could she tell when he'd rise? Where he was?

"You know where he is?" He questioned, Sally only shaking her head. "But you said-"

"I can feel him, but I can't manage to get a lock on him." She explained, her hand rising to massage her skull. "It seems he's quite dormant during the day and yet restless, almost as if he has no choice but to keep still."

Quatre sat quietly for a moment after her words, letting everything she told him sink in. He had no idea what Sally meant in telling him all this, but it would seem it was his responsibility as much as it was hers. Though what exactly they were supposed to do, he wasn't sure. The only thing he could do was let her finish telling him everything that she could.

"If you're wondering why he hasn't broken free as of yet, it's because he needs a door." She explained, as if anticipating his request for her to continue. "That and he breaks free only once every millennia, the fifth year of the new millennia and on the date we know as the twenty-sixth of December. It hosts a holiday which promotes the spilling of blood and blood is the key factor to this particular demon."

She paused to catch her breath, standing from her chair to begin pacing once again. She was feeling uneasy and she couldn't keep still, she had to keep moving.

"How come he hasn't tried yet?" Quatre questioned, drawing her from her frantic mind.

"He's waiting." She began, pausing to look at him. "Waiting for the door. It won't be revealed until that day at sunset, that's when he'll be able to come through."

"And that's in six days." Quatre muttered aloud, having been studying the calendar on Sally's desk.

He felt the pressure of a headache building behind his eyes and he sighed tiredly. His life was becoming a bit too hectic. On one hand he had this problem with vampires; not only his friend but he himself as well, was being stalked. On the other hand, he now had a big responsibility to take care of. As a witch, especially being a member of this particular coven, he was expected to take the duty of protector. To save the mortal realm whenever it was threatened by the supernatural and those beyond. He had six days to try and stop a demon from emerging and he had no idea how he was going to do that.

"What can we do?" He asked helplessly, looking to his elder for guidance.

The woman shrugged, sighing in exhaustion as she did so.

"I'm not sure." She answered truthfully. "We're pretty much doomed."

Quatre sulked in his seat at the words, leaning back and ready to admit defeat before he even had a chance to fight.

"However, we might have a chance." Sally said in hope, perking Quatre's spirits just a tad.

She walked to her desk again, taking the scroll and opening it out for the both of them, coaxing Quatre to look at it.

"This demon is locked away and he can only enter through a designated door. What does every door need?"

A light went off in Quatre's head as Sally pointed to the picture of the bleeding sacrifice.

"A key." he muttered, Sally smiling down at him. "He needs a key. All we have to do is find it before he does."

"Yes, this key is called the mortal gate. When placed on the door, the demon will pass through him or her into the mortal realm." she informed him.

"He hasn't found the key yet."

"For all we know he already has." Sally cautioned, but the young witch would not be swayed.

"No, I can feel it." He told her, his hand falling over his chest as he studied the surrounding energy. "He's still looking, but he believes he's close. We have to start looking for this key ourselves."

Sally gave a tired though proud smile to her young protégé. She knew she had made the right choice with choosing Quatre to teach personally. Out of all the others he seemed the most in tune with his gift as well as the most interested, once she managed to catch his interest. He also accepted his responsibilities without hesitation or complaint, ready for anything no matter what it took. She was grateful that she had him, she wasn't so sure that she was able to do it on her own.

"Shall we start looking?" Quatre suggested, standing to make his way to the pentagram in the center of the room.

Sally sighed, but followed after him. Hopefully, they would make progress today.

xoxoxox

The ride over to the precinct was being made in silence, courtesy of Zechs' foul mood. He had become angry having to wait for Wufei to arrive at his apartment. It wasn't so much as he hadn't found him there as Wufei should have known better. With him being a main suspect, it wasn't smart that he moved around so much. It looked suspicious. He had been worried.

'_Or you're just jealous of the _other _blond he showed up with_.' A voice in his head goaded him.

He ignored it, trying to convince himself otherwise, his fingers gripping the staring wheel hard enough that his knuckles turned white. His eyes looked up to his rearview mirror, studying the younger occupant of the car for a few moments before focusing on driving again. He couldn't just sit here in silence; he needed to ask some questions of his own before they got to the precinct.

'_Like if that guy from back there was his boyfriend._' The voice was back again.

He only shoved it aside, slowly drawing the car to a stop as he pulled over to the side of the street. Wufei looked up to him questioningly, unsure as to why they were stopping at this particular moment. The engine was shut off and then Zechs was stepping out of the car, which baffled the Chinese teen even more. The confusion had yet to stop however, as the detective joined him in the back, sitting next to him.

He didn't look at Wufei however, he merely stared ahead, his hands buried in the pockets of his overcoat. Wufei bit his lip as he waited, growing a bit nervous at the situation. He hadn't forgotten that he had a crush on the man who now sat beside him. Being in the backseat of car, and having a vivid imagination, wasn't helping him any. His nervousness subsided as Zechs began to speak to him.

"You know you're being arrested for murder." The blond bit out.

The man was upset, and if his tone of voice was anything to go by, very upset. Wufei only nodded, not sure what else he could do. Crystal-blue eyes focused on him and he found himself looking away. It would seem that Detective Marquise was more than just upset, he was furious. Wufei only nodded again, his eyes looking out of the window to avoid looking in Zechs' direction.

"Did you do it?" Zechs questioned, drawing Wufei to look at him.

"Do you believe that I did it?" Wufei retaliated.

Zechs shrugged his shoulders, leaning back into the seat as his arms folded across his chest.

"I don't know." He answered, his eyes staring up at the roof of the car. "You want to tell me how it's possible you were at a second murder?"

Wufei sighed, knowing he had no other choice but to tell Zechs _something_, otherwise he was sure to be locked up and never given the chance to redeem himself. True he'd be given a chance, but how well could a defense of "it wasn't me" work? He looked to the older man, who had yet to look at him, and he studied the frowning face.

"You're talking about Darrel, aren't you?"

Of course he was talking about Darrel. Duo had left his body behind to be found and it had been. Unfortunately, Wufei had been identified. Now he was even more of a suspect than he had been before.

"Did you know him?" Zechs questioned and Wufei nodded.

"He was my ex."

"My condolences." The detective offered.

Wufei only snorted, the fingers of his right hand toying with his zipper.

"Please, you don't need to feel sorry." He told him. "He was a bastard. He took me in the club and molested me."

"Incentive for murder." Zechs put in, his voice monotone.

Wufei's eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth falling open with a silent gasp. Was Zechs actually accusing him? He began to shake his head, his mouth moving to make words, but he was unable to find his voice. He was much too shocked to try and defend himself. He had thought the man would understand.

"I. . . didn't kill anyone." He finally managed, a bit offended.

"Well, you're the only lead we've got." Zechs responded with a shrug. "Then again, you're really not proving yourself innocent."

"It's not like you'd believe me if I told you."

With those words, his interest had been piqued, and Zechs looked at Wufei from the corner of his eye. The young man had turned his back to him, obviously upset and Zechs reached out to take hold of his shoulder. Wufei merely shrugged him off, not willing to accept the contact. Fine, Zechs could talk to him without the need to look at him.

"I can't believe you if you won't tell me anything." The detective told him. "You know you can trust me. I don't think you're guilty, but in order for me to help you, you have to tell me _something_."

He was met with silence and he patiently waited for Wufei to say something else. Minutes passed where they sat in silence and Zechs finally gave in with a sigh, reaching to open the door.

"Fine, you don't want to talk to me then you can talk to the guys down at the precinct." Was all he said as he climbed out.

He climbed back in behind the wheel, his eyes looking into the mirror to find the Asian teen still glaring out of the window. Zechs wasn't happy that the boy wouldn't talk and there was nothing he could do to convince Wufei to do so. The only thing left would be to take him in.

xoxoxox

Treize sat quietly on the armchair which was positioned a few paces away from the bed which Duo now slept in. It wouldn't be long until the violet-eyed vampire awoke; sunset was drawing closer and that was usually when he woke. Until then, Treize had all the time to study him. He was such a beautiful creature, a marvel to be wondered, a god to be worshipped. He could see why Duo's sire had chosen him. Who could resist him?

He rose from his seat, slowly making his way over so that he was standing at the side of the bed. His eyes stared down at the heart-shaped face, as youthful as it had been hundreds of years ago. Immortality had granted him that, to keep the face he had at age twenty. A face and the strong body of youth. His hand reached out to pet Duo's cheek, sliding along the vampire's neck until he reached his chest. His fingers parted Duo's shirt, deep blue eyes studying the pale chest.

Duo seemed so frail and yet he held strength that Treize had been astounded by, and for that he was beautiful; for that he was dangerous. His hand parted the shirt further, flattening against the cold chest and feeling for the heartbeat he knew was there. It came, a single beat, and then was gone. A minute passed before another followed and Treize smiled.

He had been lucky to have found a host of this particular species. A mortal body had been troublesome and gathering blood had been too much of a hassle. However, when he had found Duo, he found his luck had changed. He felt Duo's heartbeat change and he let his senses reach out past the walls of the world he had created. The sun was setting early; courtesy of the winter season. He took a seat on the bed, patiently waiting for Duo to wake.

xoxoxox

Heero wasn't sure how he had woken so early, a half hour before sunset, but he had done so. He had gone in search of the blond witch, but had been informed that he and his friend had left a few hours earlier. With his urge to follow crushed, he instead had went in search of Trowa, however his master had company. He studied the two older vampires, their arms wrapped securely about each other, with a small twinge of jealousy.

He had noticed the salt stains on Trowa's cheeks and he wondered what his master had been thinking about. When he had grown tired of that, he gently closed the coffin and was aimlessly wandering the small manor. That led him to the attic, where Wesley had stored Heero's old coffin. The blue-eyed vampire no longer used it, having spent his days in their customized cellar now, so it was placed up here. He knew that it wasn't empty, though he wanted it to be, and he opened it with a bit of hesitation.

_She_ was inside of it and Heero had the urge to rip her still body from it. In fact he wanted to, but as he reached for her, his hands froze and he was unable to. One hand rested on the side of the coffin while the other hesitantly reached out to graze her cheek with his knuckles. His hand jerked back then and though he wanted to disturb her slumber, he chose not to. As much as he didn't want her there, or want her at all, he couldn't do this to her when she slept. So with his plans of disturbing her thrown aside, he found himself studying the young woman instead.

Heero was frozen to his spot, wanting to move but unable to. He didn't want her, he wished that she was gone, but here she lay. He had abandoned her, thrown her out and bid her never to return or he'd end her immortal life. Here she laid before him now and he could do nothing but stare at her, anger, confusion and disgust mixing within him. Who those feelings were for, him or her, he wasn't sure.

His ear caught the sound of her heartbeat speeding up again and he felt that he should leave, but he stayed. Cobalt eyes watched down at her as her chest began to rise and fall, her lungs coming into work once again. She would open her eyes soon and he didn't want her to see him, but he was glued to his spot.

Relena felt the presence next to her and she made sure to stay calm, knowing if she were to panic now it wouldn't do much. She wouldn't be able to move for a few more minutes and she let her eyes stay closed until then. The more she waited, the more she realized that it was a presence she knew. Finally her eyes opened, and she calmly looked up at her sire, the chocolate-haired vampire holding a face of indifference.

No words were spoken as she sat up, taking to slowly climbing out of the coffin. When she was standing, she dusted off her dress, trying her best to ignore the man beside her. As soon she was satisfied with her appearance, she looked to him, not sure what else to do.

They stared like that for quite a while, until finally Relena could take it no longer and she turned away, ready to head out in search of her mistress. She only made it to the stairs, Heero's voice stopping her before she could descend.

"I told you to never return. You've betrayed me."

She turned back to him, her face as stoic as his and merely stared back at him in silence. It dragged on longer than she had intended, and she stepped closer to him, her steps slow. When they were face to face she stopped, Heero waiting for whatever it was she had to say.

"My betrayal of your word, is nothing compared to the betrayal you have done to me." She whispered, her hurt exposed.

Heero resisted the urge to shudder at the cold tone, but he did take a step back as Relena's eyes seemed to flash with a hidden anger. She noticed and she took it to her advantage, stepping forward so as not to lose the intimidating stance she had for the moment.

"Let it be known, that I did not return for you." She told him, though it was only half the truth. "Last night was the last time I reached my hand for you. As far as I'm concerned, I don't deserve the hurt you have caused me."

She let those be her last words and she turned to leave, climbing down the attic steps and leaving Heero by himself. It was hard to turn her back on him, but she had to return the favor. He had turned away from her far too many times to count; it was about time she started to do the same.

xoxoxox

It had taken quite a while for Zechs to reach Queens, which was only to be expected. It was, after all, rush hour and traffic was to be expected in the Holland tunnel. By the time they had finally reached Queens, the sun was setting behind the horizon.

"Shit."

Though it was what he was thinking the swear had not come from him, and he looked to Wufei through the rearview mirror. The boy was staring up at the sunset, his eyes filled with a worry that bordered on fear. The detective could only wonder what the Chinese boy had to worry about; it's not like he had a curfew.

"We have to get to the precinct before it gets dark." Wufei spoke, his eyes still locked on to the sky.

Zechs only raised an eyebrow in question, his eyes focusing a few moments on the road before they were flashing back to the mirror.

"Why, are you afraid of the dark?" He asked.

Wufei turned wide and frantic eyes to the driver, the teasing obviously not paid attention to.

"We have to get there!" He exclaimed, panic riddling his voice. "Drive faster, we have to get there now!"

"Wufei, are you alright?" Zechs tried, not sure why the young man was behaving like this.

"Now!" Wufei ordered, his fist slamming down onto the seat. "We have to get there now!"

That was the last straw. Without much thought, Zechs was pulling over to the shoulder of the freeway, ignoring the horns that blared at him for the careless action. When the car was in park, he turned to look into the back seat, where Wufei had returned to staring at the rapidly sinking sun. There was only a sliver of it left in the sky.

"Alright, I want to know what's going on with you right now!" Zechs ordered.

"No, we can't stay here!" Wufei objected, turning to face Zechs. "We have to keep going!"

He didn't know why the sudden fear had struck him, but he couldn't get rid of it. It was gripping his heart in a cold fist and his stomach was heavy with dread. Something was coming for him was all his mind kept screaming and the darker it got, the worst he felt. He needed to be somewhere where he would feel safe and since his newly warded apartment was far behind them, he had to make do with the precinct.

"We're not going anywhere until you've told me what the hell has gotten into you!" Zechs refused, his patience dwindling.

Wufei made a noise of both frustration and panic and he leaned closer, his hand gripping the back of the passenger side seat.

"I can't explain it." Wufei tried to tell him. "We have to get to the precinct first. Take me there and I'll tell you, but we can't stay here. It's too dangerous."

"Too dangerous for what?"

"Help me, Zechs!" The boy begged, not sure why he was doing so. "Help me!"

Zechs was frozen by the familiar words, a cold sweat breaking out over his skin as he stared into wide and frightened eyes. Wufei was now trembling and he couldn't figure out why. Whatever it was, Wufei was scared shitless and he felt that the precinct was his best protection. Without another word, he was flipping on his siren, the car screeching out onto the freeway.

Wufei would have relaxed at Zechs' sudden will to comply, but he could do no such thing. His eyes looked to the sky, which still held some golden color, but no longer held the sun. Hopefully it wasn't too late.

T.B.C.

I once again apologize for my very late update, but at least I got it up there. Review and keep me happy. It helps me to keep going.


	11. Chapter 10: LimeLemon Warning

Author's Note: So how's everyone doing? You enjoying the fic so far? I hope so, it gets better, at least I hope that it does. Thanks to those faithful readers who review every or nearly every chapter. You're keeping me going. Like I stated we'd do in one of the recent chapters, we've finally hit the flashback chapters. So prepare to delve into the lives of the Nightwalkers.

Warnings: OOCness, murder and more hinting of pedophilia, well let's say it upgraded and is now statutory rape. You know even though the younger party is willing it's still kind of like illegal. . . or whatever. Yaoi in this chapter, lots of it. Oodles and oodles of it; in the form of a lemonish kind of thing. There's also het lime, so uh, you've been thoroughly warned. There's blood play, so uh, it's kind of weird. Let's just say be on the lookout for some odd things, you feel me? Good, enjoy the newest chapter. Oh and yes, there are elements of Anne Rice in this thing, her work is what inspired me to write this. Well her and Tanya Huff. That and that scene in Constantine where the thing was trying to come out of that lady's stomach. Yeah, shutting up already. You can finally go and read now.

xoxoPASToxox

Duo could barely remember what had happened in the past two months, but somehow he had been adopted. He had wanted to learn who had decided to take him in, but the parish said nothing to him. They only bathed him, dressed him in clean clothing and had him waiting in the church for his new parents. He had asked for Father Brown, wanting to say goodbye, but he had been refused. The other priests wanted Father Brown to have nothing to do with this.

Even at the age of five, he was allowed suspicion, and their refusal to let him see Father Brown was unnerving. Just who had adopted him, anyway? The doors to the church opened, and Duo turned in the pew in which he sat. Violet eyes peeked over the back of the bench, widening as he recognized the tall figure and the woman beside him, as well as his servant.

A tiny heart thundered in his chest and he shook his head in disbelief. They couldn't send him to them; he wouldn't go! The priest that had been sitting with him stood to meet the two aristocrats as they walked down the aisle and Duo took that as his chance. He jumped down off of the pew, small legs heading for the door that led to the priests' quarters. He would find Father Brown regardless of what they said; he knew that he would stop this from happening.

He was stopped before he could even reach there. He was then lifted, carried kicking and screaming back to where he had started. As he drew closer, his screams grew louder and then stopped suddenly as a hand ripped across his face.

"Be still, child!" A priest demanded, angry eyes looking down at him.

A body was soon in front of him and Duo looked up to the banged-man, whose sharp eyes focused on the priest in disapproval. The man unconsciously stepped away, his eyes widening in fright.

"You'll not lay a hand on this boy, again." The tall man warned.

The priest only bobbed his head in submission. Then those green eyes were looking at him and Duo was rested down to stand on his own two feet. As a hand reached out for him, he slapped it away, not wanting to go anywhere near him.

"I don't want to go with him!" He objected, trying to run off.

He was grabbed by the collar and when his struggling bore no fruit, he was soon sobbing his objections. It grew worse as he was lifted by the man's servant, the banged-man following after him with his small bag of personal belongings.

"Please, don't send me away!" He sobbed, fighting vigorously to escape. "I want to stay! Don't send me with him!"

"WHERE IS HE!" An angry voice boomed, echoing throughout the church.

The door's from the parish were flung open with a loud bang and from it emerged Father Brown, his face fitted with rage. He had only just found out of Duo's adoption and he had been none too happy that it had been kept from him. They knew he would have objected, especially to have known that it was to a man he didn't know nor trust.

At Father Brown's appearance, Duo's fighting doubled in effort, small hands reaching out for the priest.

"Father, help me!" The boy sobbed, wanting the man to reach for him as well. "Don't let them take me, I want to stay with you!"

Duo got his wish and Father Brown reached forward, but was stopped by the group of priests that were there to see the five-year old orphan off.

"Let go of me!" He tried to pull free but was unable to, one arm reaching out for Duo. "Duo!"

Trowa watched calmly as Duo had finally wriggled free and was running back to where Father Brown was reaching for him. He stopped Bethran, who had begun to run after him and merely gave Dorothy a warning glance to keep still. He'd handle this on his own.

Father Brown pushed his way free of the other priests, kneeling to receive the sobbing Duo in his arms, his own tears falling as he hugged the boy against him. No one could take Duo away from him; he would never let him go.

"Father Brown, this is unacceptable!" The archbishop objected. "Duo's been adopted and he must go with his new family. I will not allow you to continue on this way any longer! Let the boy go this instant!"

Brown eyes were glaring in Trowa's direction and Father Brown lifted Duo into his arms possessively, taking a step back away from the stranger. He didn't care who adopted Duo, he wouldn't let the boy from his sight.

"No one is taking Duo away from me!" He voiced, daring anyone to say otherwise. "You'll have to kill me before you take him from my arms!"

Trowa was soon laughing at the words, the others falling quiet at the sound and staring at the man uneasily.

"Trowa, no!"

Dorothy's plea rang throughout the church and then it was followed by gasped and startled cries as Trowa rushed forward in a speed that only the devil could possess. Duo was snatched from Father Brown's arms as Trowa stood before him, his hand now wrapped around the man's throat, and he was lifted from the floor.

"Trowa, don't you dare!" Dorothy screamed, her anger radiating off of her.

That was ignored as well and with one twist of his hand, the priest's neck was broken, his body then dropped to the ground as if it were nothing more than garbage. Duo's grief-stricken scream was the only thing to fill the church, as the priests watched in silent horror back and forth between the dead man and Trowa.

Green eyes only glared at them, before he was looking to Dorothy who was seething in silence, Bethran frozen stiff beside her. He ignored them, even as Duo began fighting to be let go, his sobs wracking his small frame. He only headed for the entrance, the priests making the sign of the cross as he passed them, and he didn't even bother to say a word to Dorothy.

As the three began to leave, Duo fought harder still, his arms reaching out to the dead body on the floor. Trowa was hurt that the boy wanted nothing to do with him, but he wanted him none the less. Dorothy was by his side in an instant and she refused to look at him, her eyes glaring ahead of her.

"He was willing to die for him." Trowa told her before she could speak. "And I was willing to kill for him."

They left the church, the doors closing behind them and Duo was then lifted into their carriage. Tear-filled eyes watched the church grow smaller as they drew further away.

"What you did was stupid!" Dorothy scolded. "We'll be found out before the night is through!"

"Then take care of it!" Trowa cried, his teeth snapping shut in a show of aggression.

Dorothy only glared at him and Duo was soon crying out even louder as he watched the church go up in flames. He screamed, kicked and hit at any and everything, willing to fight his way to freedom. He was taken hold of and held down in the man's lap, Duo fighting with all the strength a child could muster.

He fought as long as he could, until weariness overtook him and he was soon sleeping. Trowa looked down at the slumbering child in his lap; his heart aching at how much Duo had fought to be free of him. He didn't want Duo to hate him, not when he desired the boy so strongly. Dorothy's glower could not be ignored and he looked up to her with apologetic eyes.

"He will be your undoing." She warned him, snarling down at the boy. "Let him go."

"Take him from me if you dare." Trowa challenged her, his voice hinting his eagerness to fight for him.

Dorothy couldn't help herself and she reached a hand out, drawing it across the older vampire's face with a frustrated cry.

"Stupid vampire!" She spat, slapping him again. "Bewitched by a mortal! You have him now, but what will you do when he dies? Will you change him, Trowa? Of course not, because you're a coward. You will not bring that boy into our house, Trowa! I forbid it!"

"I will do as I wish!" Trowa responded just as loudly. "He is mine, Dorothy! No one shall take him from me!"

Dorothy could do nothing else but laugh, Trowa glaring at her as they rocked with the motion of the carriage. When she was quite done, Dorothy stared back to her companion with a mocking smile.

"Death will take him from you." She promised him. "If not his, then yours."

Trowa clenched his jaw so as not to retaliate. He knew better than to draw this out any longer. Dorothy would keep it going until she got her way, and he would not allow her to do such. Duo was his, he had rightfully gained him and there was nothing that could happen that would take the boy from him.

xoxoxox

"Duo, wake up."

The stern and yet gentle call of his master's voice drew Duo awake and he lifted his head from the desk he had rested it on. Weary and sleep-reddened eyes looked up to the man, or so he was told that he was, and he waited patiently for whatever orders that would be given to him.

"How many times must I be told that you're sleeping during your lessons?" Trowa questioned, looking down at the seventeen-year old boy. "The schoolmaster is threatening to quit his private lessons with you. Why is it that you're suddenly so tired when it comes to learning your books?"

"It's not my fault he's as boring as they come." Duo mumbled, looking away.

His eyes looked out of the window to find that it was dark, though he had figured it out with his master's appearance. The man never came but after sunset. When asked where he was all day, Trowa would simply reply that he had business to take care of in the next town. Duo had his doubts, but never questioned any further.

"Boredom is no reason for disrespect." Trowa told him "I expect from now on that you'll stay awake. You're not so grown that I'll refrain from whipping you."

"Is that supposed to scare me, Master?" Duo inquired, his tone still bored. "My fear of you has waned with each day that passes. So give your threats, they mean nothing to me."

Duo did not see Trowa's face contort into a look of frustration, nor did he see the man come toward him, he only soon found himself draped over his master's knees. He tried his best not to cry out as the switch came down against his rear, but after the first few of them, he couldn't help it.

When he was released, he pushed himself away, his own angered look directed at Trowa. The vampire only glared, his hand curled tightly about the handle of the switch.

"Must I always take this path with you!" Trowa demanded. "Is the switch the only answer for your disobedience, Duo!"

"How far must I bend for you, Master!" Duo screamed back, his voice holding sarcasm. "Was it not enough that you stole me from all I knew? You wish me to give you complete obedience?"

"Duo, I gained you through the church." Trowa told him. "I signed for you and paid the proper fee."

"You took me by force!" Duo objected "I never wanted to go anywhere with you. Did you think I'd grow to like it here? An empty house, with you and the Lady gone for the entire day? Even in the evening I do not see you, you're here but for a short while. At least if I had been left at the chapel, I could have entered the parish. I would have had company there! There I could have been happy!"

Trowa fell silent, his eyes looking away from Duo to stare off at nothing in particular. Was that how Duo felt? Did he truly not come to like it here, after all these years? He looked to the teenaged-boy, who still glared back at him, hands idly trying to soothe the pain in his bottom. Perhaps, he had been a bit harsh?

Would Duo truly have been happier if he had kept his distance? There was a chance that this was true, but Trowa liked to think otherwise. Duo would have never liked that life, he was sure of it. The boy was merely talking foolishly. He never stole Duo; he took what was rightfully his. Duo would not admit it, but he had taken to this place. He would usually scream and bicker with Trowa, but he did care for the man. And though Trowa had never heard him confess it, Duo loved him. He was just stubborn, brash and fiery.

It wasn't what had originally attracted Trowa to the boy. No, it had been that innocence of youth. An innocence that he had managed to steal away from him and in its place had left the Duo that stood before him. He didn't mind however, he was attracted all the same, and since he had him, he would never let him go.

"In the morning, you will do well to pay attention during your lessons." Was all he said, the subject dismissed.

He went to leave, but Duo's frustrated yell, as well as the candlestick pelted in his direction drew his attention to him once again.

"I will do nothing!" The boy screamed. "Master I may call you, but you do not rule me!"

"Duo-"

"Keep your words!" Duo interrupted, heading for the door. "I do not wish to hear them."

Trowa watched him storm out of the door, pushing past Dorothy who had finally chosen to make an appearance. He was most likely off to the nearest tavern, in search of some way to upset Trowa even further. He sighed as Dorothy looked to him for an explanation, but he couldn't offer her one.

"What did you do now?" Dorothy questioned, looking then to the switch. "Is that the only answer for him?"

"He makes it so that it is the only answer." Trowa responded, throwing the switch aside. "How can he show me such contempt, when I love him so and I know he cares for me?"

"You have proof of this?" She asked him, seating herself in a chair.

"He does not leave, and when he does, he returns again." Trowa offered her, "He screams and bickers with me, and in a few hours' time he is by my side. He is in my arms and begging forgiveness. If that is not proof enough, then I don't know what is."

Dorothy smiled at him and beckoned him over, Trowa doing as she wanted. He knelt in front of her, his head resting in her lap so that she could gently stroke the auburn locks.

"Should I go after him?" Trowa questioned, breaking their silence.

"No." Dorothy answered him. "Come, Trowa. While he runs about the town, you and I shall feed. It has been three nights since we have last done so."

Trowa agreed and then the two were soon off, going out into the night in search of sustenance.

xoxoxox

Duo stumbled along the dimly lit streets in his drunkenness, his hands grasping momentarily onto a light post. Or at least, he thought he had been grabbing for it. He instead found himself falling and he grunted as he hit the ground. He lay still for only a short moment, so that his head had time to stop spinning, before he was slowly picking himself up.

He had to return home. He needed to make amends with Trowa before his guilt ate away at him. He could never understand why he would feel the urge to do so. He hated that man, or at least he liked to think that he did. Duo could not forget what that man had taken from him, but then he couldn't ignore all that he had given him.

He didn't think he'd learn how to write, let alone read, but Trowa made it possible. Duo could have never dreamed of attending the theater or traveling to other countries; hell he hadn't known there was anything beyond England. Trowa had shown him. . . Trowa loved him and he couldn't help but care.

He stumbled on again after righting himself, now upset that he had let himself drink this much. It would be hard to apologize, since Trowa would most definitely be angry with him for his recklessness. Not to mention if he managed to discover that Duo had kept company this evening. The braided boy had no idea how, but Trowa would always know. He would even know if it were a man or a woman he had been with.

A woman's giggle caught his ear and he looked in the direction of an alleyway. It would seem that two lovers were caught up in the moment. He would have ignored it, if it weren't for the voice that began to serenade the woman in Italian. He knew that voice. With his face set in a frown, he tried his best to stay as quiet as possible, pressing close to the wall of a building as he peeked into the alleyway.

Violet eyes widened at the sight and to have said that he felt shocked was an understatement. The woman was pressed against the wall, her skirts lifted as she wrapped one leg about her seducer's thigh, and his arms were wrapped about her waist. Her head was thrown back in ecstasy as his lips teased the skin of her neck, her sighs loud in the still quiet of the alleyway.

Duo's shock was not from the manner of how these two were found, he himself had taken and had been taken in alleyways. It was the man that the woman clung to that brought him his bought of shock, and as he watched his master even longer, shock turned to rage and jealousy.

Trowa continued to whisper to her, the woman giggling as he nipped her gently on her earlobe, and Duo's hands clenched as his eyes narrowed.

"How I want you." Trowa murmured, in Italian and English.

A hand rose to gently lower her dress from her shoulder, his other lifting her so that both her legs wrapped about his waist. He lifted his eyes to her to smile, the woman only moaning and pulling him in for a kiss. As they did so, the green-eyed man pulled her dress down further, and Duo pulled back unable to watch any more.

He listened as her sighs grew louder, the woman's moaning echoing against the walls of the alleyway, and Duo shut his eyes. He had no reason to feel jealous; he and his master were not lovers. The man could bed, or make love to in an alleyway, whomever he pleased.

The woman's pained cry drew his attention again, and he peeked just in time to see Trowa lifting his head away from her breast, which the woman now clutched at protectively.

"Not so hard." She scolded, her face set with a small frown.

"I'm sorry." Trowa apologized, lowering to her neck. "Shall I bite you elsewhere?"

She was moaning again as Trowa's teeth scraped across her neck, his hand toying with her breast as he slowly grinded his hips against hers. The braided boy could only take so much, and when he had planned to interrupt, he was stopped short. The woman gave another cry of pain, her arms pushing Trowa away, before her hand was rising to her neck. It was bleeding.

Trowa smiled at her, his tongue slowly licking his lips clean, as the woman began to back away from him. She must have forgotten that there was a wall behind her, for she stopped in surprise as her back touched it.

"Come now, my sweet." Trowa cooed to her, reaching out for her. "Let me finish what I have started."

"No!" The young woman objected. "Stay away from me! Leave me alone!"

She tried to run, but was easily caught and harshly thrust against the wall again. A hand was clamped down over her mouth before she could scream and Duo's eyes widened as he watched Trowa smile down at her, sharp teeth he had never noticed before gleaming. He was unable to pull away as those same teeth sunk into her neck, the woman's muffled scream sending a shiver down his spine. He watched her fight until her body stilled and then Trowa finally pulled away. The woman's body fell to the floor, her clothes fixed before she was dropped.

Trowa's tongue ran over his lips again and he sighed in content, his eyes closing as if to bask in what euphoria that had brought him. They opened an instant later at the sound of sharp breathing, and he turned to look at the alley's entrance. He didn't know what to do as he found Duo standing there, violet-eyes widened in obvious fright and his body trembling.

"Duo-"

"You're a monster." The boy whispered, backing away.

Trowa took a step toward him and the boy screamed, before turning on his heels and running into the night. Trowa was fast to follow, at a normal speed, sure to keep his eyes open as to where the boy might disappear to. Though he tried not to, he lost sight of him and he swore under his breath. When Duo was found, something had to be done; the boy had seen too much.

"Damn it, Dorothy." He swore under his breath, beginning his search. "Where are you when I need you?"

xoxoxox

Dorothy, having separated from Trowa during their hunting, was in her room when Duo burst in. She was grateful that the body of the young man she had killed only an hour earlier had been disposed of. She had no idea how she would have explained a dead man's corpse in her bed.

"Duo, what on earth is the matter with you?"

She had begun to ask her question due to the boy's sudden intrusion, but it was now to find out why Duo was so frightened. She could hear his heart thundering.

"I saw him!" The boy shouted, his voice near hysterical. "I saw him with my own eyes!"

Dorothy frowned, Duo walking in to grab hold of her and she didn't know what else to do but stand still.

"I saw him do it!" The boy continued. "I saw him! I saw him!"

"Duo, calm down!" She demanded, wrenching free from him. "Saw whom? What did you see?"

"He killed her!" The boy revealed, a sob escaping his throat. "Trowa killed her!"

With the boy breaking down in front of her, Dorothy sat him down on the bed, bringing him closer to her so that he could cry in her arms. She offered him comfort, but her body was set in anger. Trowa had been seen, caught unaware most likely and she couldn't believe that he had been so stupid.

She had warned him about killing his prey in public places, but he never listened. Duo was clinging to her as he sobbed, and Dorothy tried her best to soothe him, cooing softly as she ran a hand over his hair.

"He's a monster, Dorothy." Duo sobbed, this having obviously upset him.

Dorothy shushed him, lifting his face to look at her as she shook her head.

"No, not a monster." She explained quietly, wiping away tears though more fell. "Vampire."

The word caused Duo's crying to stop abruptly and Dorothy read the question he wanted to ask, but hesitated to do so. It was time the boy was told the truth.

"There is something about your master and I that you should know."

xoxoxox

Trowa slowly and quietly entered the manor that he and Dorothy had purchased together, not wanting to alert any of the servants to his arrival. He could sense that Dorothy was home and surprisingly enough, he rather wanted to avoid her. He couldn't bring himself to tell her what had happened. He knew that it would make her more than upset. His plan was to not cross paths with her and thus he would avoid being the bearer of bad news.

He made it to his room quickly and surprisingly enough, he didn't notice the body curled up on a chair. That is, not until said body moved. As he was removing his tunic, Trowa realized he wasn't alone and he spun to find a silhouette in the darkness. A candle was lit and violet eyes were looking up at him, the fear he had seen earlier faint but still there.

He didn't know what to say and he wasn't sure if he could speak. His voice had taken leave with his silent shock of Duo's appearance. So this is where he had run off to? He had been looking for hours in Duo's usual runaway places. Since he could think of nothing else to do, he continued to remove his shirt, turning away so as not to face Duo's piercing gaze.

"I know what you are." Duo's voice rang out, after a moment of silence.

Trowa stopped what he was doing, not sure if he should turn to face him or not, but eventually looked over his shoulder.

"Vampire." Duo whispered as he did so.

Trowa turned to face him then, his shirt removed and neatly discarded in the basket for his soiled clothing. The two stared at each other, neither speaking, until the silence became too much and Trowa chose to turn away again.

"Dorothy told me." Duo explained, as if Trowa had asked him.

"I figured as much." The vampire replied, seating himself on his bed.

"She told me why you do it." Duo continued, slowly rising from his seat. "Why you murder the innocent, what you hunger for, and that it makes you stronger."

Trowa sat on the edge of his bed, his eyes not bothering to look up at Duo as the boy drew closer. Soon enough, Duo was standing in front of him and still he refused to acknowledge the boy. Duo, it would seem, didn't mind that he was being ignored.

"I know she's one, too." Duo went on, his eyes looking down to his master. "And I know that you can make another."

Trowa tensed as Duo moved forward, the boy climbing into his lap, while his hands began removing his own shirt. Green eyes could look away no longer as Duo's chest was revealed, his eyes greedily looking him over. Gentle hands were pushing against his shoulder, and Trowa easily laid back, his eyes looking up to the boy that now straddled his hips.

His hands rose to touch him, but he was hesitant. Duo broke it, grabbing him by the wrist and leading his hand to the planes of his chest. Trowa gasped at the feeling of warm skin beneath his palms, Duo at the cold fingers that were pressed against him. He looked down into the vampire's face, watching as Trowa stared up at him in quiet awe, just as he stared down at his master.

"Why did you take me from the church that day?" Duo asked him, now turning to questioning.

The question caused Trowa to pull his hands away, but Duo only took them again, resting them to his chest once more. He gasped as they moved, fingers brushing over his nipples, but he would not be swayed.

"Why did you take me, Master?" He asked again, his back arching into Trowa's touch.

Trowa only gave a chuckle, his pale hands caressing every inch of skin that it could. Duo had meant to use this as a way to get Trowa to answer his questions, but the boy wouldn't get his way. Before Duo could object, Trowa had the braided youth on his back, and his lips locked with his.

So sweet they were that he couldn't help but taste him further, his tongue delving into the boy's mouth. Yes, even sweeter, just as he thought. Duo moaned and he pulled back, leaving the boy breathless to dip his mouth to that wonderful chest. He nipped and kissed his way across it, smiling as Duo's panting became small, breathless moans.

He had patiently waited for this moment. He was tempted, too many times to count, to lure Duo to his bed. The boy had been too young then, he could not bring himself to do it. So he had settled for waiting. Duo grew older and he found pleasure from others. Trowa tried his best not to reveal his jealousy, though there were instances where Duo's lover of the evening was found dead in the morning.

Duo was his to have, his alone to touch, and he would make it so.

He pulled away to look down at the flushed face, his fingers brushing against the boy's cheek as he leaned down to steal a small kiss.

"La mia piccola morte." He whispered as he pulled away, their lips brushing.

Duo lifted himself to push their lips together again and Trowa eagerly accepted it, welcoming the tongue that pushed into his mouth. He felt as it ran over his fangs curiously and was soon pushing Duo away at the taste of blood. Duo had cut his tongue, and Trowa wasn't sure if it was an accident.

Duo's laughter confirmed that it was intentional and the vampire rose from the bed, Duo's hands trying to stop him. He easily pulled away, the boy behind him whimpering in protest. He wouldn't give in. Duo was playing with fire. He had no idea what he would pull Trowa to by the taste of his blood.

Trowa licked his lips, savoring the small amount he had been able to manage. Even that was driving him to madness, as his body was screaming out for him to finish what had been started. The bed creaked with Duo's movement and Trowa tensed, fighting the urge to press the boy to the mattress again.

"She told me that you wanted me."

Duo's voice drew his attention and he turned to look over his shoulder at the boy, who now sat at the edge of his bed. Awed and amused eyes looking in his direction, Duo's hand slowly began caressing his own skin. Trowa closed his eyes tightly, turning away so as not to be tempted. Damn Dorothy to hell for this.

"Master, you do want me don't you?" Duo questioned.

The half gasp, half moan was hard to ignore and curious green eyes were looking again. One of Duo's hands had disappeared into his trousers, the other teasing his chest and Trowa found himself holding on to the last of his resolve.

"I want you as well." Duo gasped, his head arching back with another moan. "Please, Master, take me."

He broke then and the green-eyed vampire was rushing forward, his hands taking hold of Duo and pushing him back onto the bed. Lips joined in a ferocious kiss, Duo crying out in shock as his bottom lip was bit, the skin breaking. He was soothed soon after, Trowa gently suckling it as he greedily lapped up every single drop of blood.

He pulled away to look at Duo, who lay panting beneath him, face flushed and lips swollen. His eyes held emotions that Trowa could barely keep a hold of; flashes of lust, desire, fear, and admiration. One of his hands stopped Duo from stroking himself, the other taking the boy's place, closing about the boy's swelling organ.

Duo's mouth opened in a breathless cry and Trowa smiled, watching the boy writhe as he began to gently stroke him.

"Master."

Duo's whispered word was all he could manage, before his back was arching with a pleasured whimper, Trowa's free hand having taken to pinching at a rosy nipple.

"Do you know what you ask of me, Duo?", Trowa gently asked him, his mouth holding a small smile.

He watched Duo bite his lip, trying his best to hold back a cry, but unsuccessful as Trowa's hand tightened wonderfully around his shaft. A small sob erupted from the braided teen's lips, his eyes clenching shut as Trowa continued to pleasure him. He stopped only for a moment, to free the boy's erection from the confining pants, only to have his hand wrapped about him again.

"Take me, you beg." Trowa continued, his lips grazing over Duo's parted ones. "But you have not even one inkling of what those words mean to me."

His hand left Duo's chest, taking to pulling down the boy's pants, and discarding them once they were removed. He let his eyes travel over the naked form underneath him, watching as Duo slowly began thrusting into his hand. He chuckled then, looking back to the boy's face and taking those pouting lips again.

Once more he bit down on his lips, his heart racing as blood kissed his tongue, as sweet as the rest of his human companion.

"Dorothy told me what it meant." Duo whimpered between small pants.

Trowa smiled; of course she had told him.

"Did she now?" He asked him, reaching up to stroke Duo's loosening locks.

With the boy's writhing it was freeing from the neat braid, pooling around Duo to frame him in his ecstasy.

"Did she tell you how I was to do it?" The vampire went on, his other hand moving faster.

He chuckled at the surprised cry that pulled from Duo, the boy's head thrashing about the pillows as he began moaning, his hips thrusting faster to meet Trowa's hand.

"Did she tell you what it would mean for you?"

"No, Master." Duo whimpered in answer, before he was begging. "Please."

He was close, so close and Trowa knew that he was. He brought his fingers of his free hand to his mouth, his teeth cutting into the tips of his index and middle finger. Blood was soon coating them and he then lowered them to Duo's hidden entrance, one finger gently circling the small rosebud. If he were to hurt Duo, his blood would heal him.

Duo's scream was one of pleasure he found in relief, as he pushed into the tight ring with both fingers, slowly retreating once he was fully buried. His fingers were plunging in again, stroking the well-known place deep inside him and he smiled as Duo pushed down onto them, before his hips were rising into his hand.

He would have loved to continue questioning the boy, but found he would not get legitimate answers. Duo was too far gone with pleasure to even comprehend the words Trowa had to ask him. Besides, now he wanted to see Duo at the peak of his passion. Deft fingers continued to stroke Duo from within, while his other hand brought the young boy closer to his peak.

Trowa watched on fascinated as Duo lost himself to what he was feeling, violet eyes hooded, pouting lips parted. Pants and moans were escaping him as his body writhed, his back arching every now and again. His hips went back and forth from pushing down on Trowa's fingers to thrusting back into his firm grip.

Duo's heart beat was racing; a sign to Trowa that he was soon to erupt and the vampire lowered his lips to Duo's. Gently and yet forcefully he drew the boy into a kiss, this time his teeth biting into his own lip, his tongue drawing Duo's in for a taste. The boy moaned greedily, his mouth pulling for this new nectar and Trowa laughed, pulling away to stare down at him.

"Only this for now, Duo." Trowa spoke, his voice a gently murmur. "Let me be content with this."

Trowa couldn't help but groan as Duo came with a loud cry, the boy whimpering as he spilled himself over his Master's still pumping fist. The Nightwalker continued to stroke him, the boy moaning as every last drop was milked from him. When Trowa finally released him, he whimpered again as fingers were drawn from him as well.

He watched as Trowa seemed enraptured by the pearly substance that now coated his hand and Duo raised his hand to grab Trowa's wrist. He pulled the creature down to him again, his lips touching but barely pressing against his. Violet eyes looked into sharp green and he hesitated only a moment before speaking.

"Will you take me now?" Duo questioned.

"Damn Dorothy and her words." Trowa cursed softly, gently pulling away from Duo.

The boy wouldn't allow it though and he pulled his master back to him, hugging onto the man and not wanting to let him go.

"She said you can give me your gift." He continued, his hand taking to stroking Trowa's hair.

"It is no gift." Trowa told him, his arms encircling Duo of their own will. "It is a curse that I refuse to bestow upon you."

"And what if I wish for it?" Duo questioned.

"Then I will refuse. What I am, Duo, is not what I wish for you to be. You're too beautiful."

"And so are you!" Duo objected, frowning up at his master "I feared you once, I fear you still, but I'm struck with awe at the sight of you. I hate you for what you did to me, what you took me from and yet I love you for those same reasons. I want only to be with you, Master. Always; together for eternity."

Trowa chuckled sadly, his forehead pressing to Duo's as he closed his eyes for a moment. Dorothy was a devious woman and he had to wonder why she had decided to push Duo to want this change. He had not forgotten that she had once wanted to do away with him and it was she herself that had forbid Trowa of revealing what they were.

Now she educated Duo, now she coaxed him to beg for this "gift". She was trying to tell him something, but he couldn't figure out what. The lips that pressed against his drew him from his thoughts, and his mouth opened willingly to a questing tongue. Duo was searching, but he would not receive it.

It would seem the boy figured it out and he pulled away to look up at the vampire with begging eyes. Trowa only shook his head, aware of the pout that took Duo's lips.

"Give it to me, again." Duo begged him, seating himself in Trowa's lap. "I wish to taste it once more, Master."

"No, Duo."

"Why not?"

"I forbid it!" Trowa shouted, Duo flinching.

His moment of fright was replaced with anger and he roughly pushed himself away, standing from the bed to begin dressing himself.

"Dorothy will give it to me." He began, picking up his discarded shirt. "She never refuses me."

"Dorothy will do no such thing." Trowa warned, his eyes narrowing on the tousled boy. "I have told you I forbid it."

"Why!" Duo demanded, now enraged. "I want it, Trowa! Why can't I have it!"

"You're too young." Trowa offered him, though the real reason he kept for himself.

"I'm seventeen." Duo reminded him, his calm returning. "I'm old enough to marry, yet I am too young to become a vampire?"

Trowa beckoned him closer and the boy did as he wanted, returning to Trowa's lap.

"You must give me time." Trowa gently begged him, his hands combing through chestnut locks. "When I feel you are ready, I shall let you have it. Until then, will you wait?"

"I don't want to wait." Duo answered truthfully and Trowa smiled at him.

"You must. I will not turn you before I am ready. Just wait patiently."

Duo held out in stubbornness for a few moments more before he was reluctantly nodding in agreement. He would wait, but he was not happy. He was far too intrigued by the concept of vampires to be denied becoming one himself. A monster he had once feared and now wanted to be.

Trowa urged Duo to bed, the boy refusing to return to his own room. He allowed him to stay the night and once Duo was asleep, was off in search of Dorothy. She had a lot of explaining to do.

xoxoxox

Trowa was greeted by the sight of packed trunks and moving furniture. In the midst of all this was Dorothy, calmly looking over what was being done. She was dressed for travel and Trowa knew that meant only one thing.

"You're leaving."

It was meant to be a question, but it sound more of an accusation. Dorothy turned at the sound of his voice and didn't even try to offer him a smile. Her face kept stoic as she looked at him, the two of them not saying a word. Dorothy soon returned her attention to the movers, quickly scolding two men who had managed to drop a couch, her eyes glaring at them as they meekly left the room.

Her attention was drawn back to Trowa, who had yet to look away from her and it was only then she decided he deserved his explanation.

"I've grown tired of London." She offered, looking away again.

"You've grown tired of me."

Trowa's words were truth, but she would not tell him so. She turned to him again, and offered him a small smile, this one sad and apologetic.

"You told me I could stay until I no longer needed you-"

"And what of me?" Trowa was quick to interrupt her. "What if _I _need _you_?"

The movement in the room stopped and the two vampires looked about to realize that they were not alone. Clearing his throat to excuse himself, Trowa left out the door and Dorothy was fast to follow him. The doors were shut behind them and they were left to their privacy.

"I sent you Duo." Dorothy began.

"You had no right!"

"Is it not you who took him because you wanted him?" Dorothy questioned, watching Trowa's face darken with anger. "Why have him Trowa if it is not to change him? You need an immortal companion and I leave on this night!"

"Then stay!"

"I cannot!" She screamed, her eyes glaring. "You hold nothing for me, Trowa!"

"I hold everything for you!" Trowa screamed back. "You were my first, Dorothy! You cannot leave me!"

"I am your first, not your last!" The female vampire argued. "Make your new companion, Trowa. You need company and I want freedom."

"Do I imprison you here?" Trowa seethed, gesturing about to their surroundings. "Or do I not bend to your every whim? Tell me what makes you unhappy and I shall rectify that mistake. With you gone I will not be able to resist-"

He cut his words short, stunned at what he was about to admit, and he turned away from her. Dorothy only watched him, sympathy in her eyes and she sighed as she moved forward. Her hand rested on Trowa's shoulder, offering distant comfort. She knew that he wouldn't be able to resist without her here. It was part of the reason why she was leaving.

For too long she watched Trowa pine away, wanting to touch but always pulling back. He claimed Duo was made to live mortal, but Dorothy knew he truly felt opposite of what he said. With no immortal ties, Trowa would grow desperate and hopefully it would be soon. She couldn't stand to see him this way.

And if that wasn't reason enough, she had truly grown tired of England. They had traveled and France had caught her eye. She felt the need for a change of scenery.

"You will come to see me soon enough." She gently told him, placing a kiss on his temple. "And I will be sure to return. I cannot stay apart from you for too long, amore."

The doors to her room opened and the two parted, Dorothy turning her attention to the men. With one last look to where Trowa still stood quietly, she returned to overlooking the working men.

Trowa, feeling that their goodbyes had come to an end, turned to head back to the room where he had left Duo sleeping. He thought against it at the last moment, stopping at the door with his hand on the knob. He turned on his heels, heading for the cellars instead. He needed to be apart from Duo tonight.

He had been struck with a sudden feeling of vulnerability and desperation, that he feared what would happen. He would take refuge in his coffin, which he hadn't used in years. It was safer to do so.

xoxoxox

The two years following Dorothy's departure had been two years of torment. Trowa had found himself brooding and when he wasn't doing that, he was hunting more then was necessary. He was tense, he was stressed, and he was becoming tired. It even came to a point of three months of hiding away in his coffin, never emerging and never responding when Duo came calling.

He was trying to avoid the braided boy, as Duo never let up in begging (or rather out right demanding), that Trowa give him what he wanted. Twice he attempted suicide and failed. Trowa had then sent him to an asylum to ensure it would not happen again. A strange punishment but it worked. The boy never attempted to kill himself, though he then began working on making Trowa envious.

Duo was gone most of the day and only returned when he knew Trowa was up for the night. In his company was always a warm body, which Duo would ensure his master heard him with. It was all for naught, as Trowa had grown numb, though the hunger seemed to rise with every new guest Duo brought into the house.

With failed attempts shortening his temper, Duo had finally confronted his master, but Trowa had easily sent him away. Duo had left, and did not return for two weeks. When he did, his relentless begging continued and Trowa had had enough. Choosing when Duo was gone on one of his fits, he slipped into the cellar and closed himself away.

His distancing himself had angered Duo to no end, and he found that out when three months later he decided to finally emerge, but found his coffin had been nailed shut. Unfortunately, three months without feeding meant he was far too weak to break free, so he had to wait for someone to come through the cellars.

He had been expecting Duo, but received only his trusted servant, who informed him that Duo had left the manor a week before. He had yet to return. Trowa thought nothing of it, knowing the behavior patterns of the young man. A week turned in to two, and two into three.

It was the fourth week, when Trowa had grown tired of waiting and decided to go looking for him, did Duo return. Frail and near death, he was found on the doorstep, where he had collapsed. Trowa knew the stench of disease and Duo was covered in it. He had caught the plague.

Hunched over Duo's bedside, he was at a loss. He could not allow himself to let Duo die this way.

"What should I do?" He ended up asking his newest servant.

His last, Bethran, had passed from the plague himself just two weeks ago. The young woman paused in her work, in which she was gently patting Duo's forehead, to look up at her new employer.

"Perhaps. . ." She began hesitantly, for she was still unsure of the man. "Your friend Lady Dorothy can help you?"

Trowa wasted no time and with Duo wrapped and secured in his arms, he was off into the night.

xoxoxox

Dorothy would have been lying if she had said she wasn't surprised to find Trowa on her doorsteps. What surprised her most was the dying mortal that Trowa held in his arms. It reeked of disease and her nose wrinkled at the scent. Curiosity moved her to pull back the blanket and she gasped as she looked down at the familiar face.

The two vampires looked at each other and no words were said. Dorothy welcomed them in and sent for a doctor.

xoxoxox

No matter what they did, nothing seemed to work, and Duo grew worse. Faced with the knowledge that Duo's death was imminent, Trowa was unable to handle it and he disappeared. As she sat by Duo's bed, the blond vampiress devised a plan. She stood from her chair, walking to a dresser and pulling free a small dagger. Her eyes turned to Duo then and she quickly bid the one servant that was there out. She would take care of this.

xoxoxox

She found Trowa lying in an abandoned crypt, his eyes blank as they stared up at the crumbling ceiling. He had heard her enter, but did not respond to her presence. Duo's condition had upset him more than she had originally thought. She crept closer, until she was standing beside him, far enough to give him space. In this state he could quickly turn to anger, and in the event that he lashed out, she wanted to make sure that she was able to escape.

"Did I not tell you that death would take him from you?" She began, here hands folding in front of her. "Did I not warn you?"

Dull, green eyes slowly looked at her, before they were looking back to the ceiling, disinterested.

"Leave me be, Dorothy." He mumbled. "I wish to wallow here in secret. I am mourning."

Her laughter caused him to tense, but he still refused to look at her. He would not be drawn to anger; he did not have the strength to be angry.

"You mourn?" Dorothy laughed. "When you know you can easily save him?"

Her laughter stopped abruptly as she was now caught in his grasp, green eyes burning down on her in a rage she had never seen before.

"Do not tempt me woman!" He hissed, pushing her away. "I cannot bring myself to do it! I cannot curse his soul!"

"You cursed it the moment you reached for him." Dorothy bit, shuffling away. "He's dying because of you, and he will die knowing you tried nothing."

"I have tried everything!"

"Give him what he wants, Trowa! Or else he will die-"

"Within the week, I know!" Trowa interrupted her. "I was there when the doctor spoke the words."

Dorothy only shook her head, a dark smile taking her lips.

"He will die tonight."

Trowa stopped to look at her, his face would have blanched had it not been pale already. He felt his heart wrench and his stomach knot at the words. What had Dorothy done?

xoxoxox

Blood was what greeted him when he first entered the room and he rushed to Duo, grabbing at the young man in his arms. His fingers rose to his neck, a pitiful moan escaping his throat as he watched them stain on the blood that leaked free. What had she done? Why would she do this?

"Because you needed to be pushed." Dorothy answered his thoughts. "Too long have you prolonged this and it ends here, Trowa. Turn him now!"

Her yelled words echoed in the empty room and Trowa merely watched her, not sure why she wanted this to happen. She had already left him and he had no intention of asking her to return with him once Duo had passed. Why now did she put the young man between them again?

"I cannot stand to see you this way." Dorothy explained, reading the question on his face, "Nor can I stand to see him suffer. He wants to be with you and you've wanted him since you first saw him. Take him, Trowa. Make him yours and grant him immortality. Bend to my whim once more and grant me this wish."

Trowa looked away from her, back to his cherished mortal, whom he gently petted as if he were a doll. It would seem he had no choice. His hands gently patted Duo's face, drawing him to open his eyes, which stared up at him blankly. He was indeed dying; life had already left his eyes.

"La mia piccola morte. Open your mouth for me; I shall give you what you have always begged of me."

Slowly, dry lips parted and Trowa lifted his wrist to his own mouth, biting down to begin the blood's flow. The wrist was then held over Duo's lips, Trowa pressing his wrist to them to ensure that every drop that came from him was taken.

In the background, Dorothy watched on, satisfied that things had turned out this way. Trowa needed Duo with him and he had to be the one to change him. Though she knew that if he had still refused, she would have done it herself. Her attention was drawn back to the bed, where Trowa had now been pushed away.

It would seem Duo had had his fill and she smiled as she knew exactly what he was going through. The boy moaned as he sat up, one arm clutching his stomach as he looked up pitifully to the other two in the room. Soon enough he was gagging and Dorothy turned away, unable to watch as Duo emptied his stomach.

Duo wasn't sure what was going on and he continued to retch, not the blood he had just finished, but every other fluid his stomach had held instead. When he believed it had passed, he was wrought with a different pain, the feeling to urinate overwhelming.

"Trowa-"

He had begun to beg for assistance, but was soon retching again, his stomach obviously not emptied enough.

"You must endure it, Duo." Trowa soothed, though he made no movement toward him. "It will pass."

Duo wasn't sure he believed the words. Especially when his stomach stopped only to start again. He could no longer help it and he soiled himself as well, highly embarrassed that he had no control over his own body at the moment. When it was finally over he was sobbing, slowly moving away from the mess he had caused on the bed.

He had never experienced something that horrible. Was this what it felt to gain immortality? He could understand why Trowa was so reluctant to hand it to him.

Said vampire finally stepped forward, pulling Duo from the bed and stripping the boy of his soiled clothing, gently soothing him to stop crying. Dorothy was calling for a tub and warm water, and soon enough Duo was nestled in it, being bathed by the gentle hands of his master.

Dorothy had left, claiming she'd be back with something for his stomach, having stripped the sheets from the bed and ordering them to be discarded. Newly sharpened violet eyes looked about the room in amazement, before they were resting on his master, who seemed content with his small task.

"Climb in with me." Duo suggested, and Trowa only smiled with a shake of his head.

"The tub is too small." He reasoned, his hands gently working. "And you are unable to perform what you promise with your words."

"And why is that?" Duo asked with a smile.

"You will see soon enough." Trowa laughed, his hand reaching up to stroke Duo's hair.

The newborn vampire leaned in to the touch, his own hand grabbing out for Trowa and pulling his elder closer. Lips met in a kiss, Duo's tongue questing for what he had once tasted in this mouth. Trowa understood and he easily submitted, running his tongue over Duo's teeth.

The young one moaned as blood ran freely into his mouth and greedily he pulled harder, drawing Trowa as close as he could. The two were interrupted by the sound of Dorothy entering the room, and both pulled away to look at her. She was not alone. Beside her stood a man, his arm wrapped possessively about her waist.

"What's all this about?" The man asked, glaring back at the two men. "I ain't willin' to share, love. And I most certainly ain't lying with another lad."

Dorothy looked to Trowa, and he only ended up giving a soft laugh. Duo's confused looked brought him to kiss the boy one last time, and then he was standing and leaving. The man growled at him as he brushed past and soon enough it left the three of them. Duo looked back at the newcomer, who only glared down at him a bit in disgust, before his eyes were staring at Dorothy.

"So who's this bloke?" The man asked, jabbing a thumb in Duo's direction.

Dorothy only released herself from his hold, walking to Duo and resting a comforting hand on his head.

"My brother." She lied, an innocent smile directed to the man. "I was hoping you would be able to help us."

The man took on a look of confusion at Dorothy's words, and so did Duo's. Violet eyes studied Dorothy's face as she coaxed him to stand from the water, revealing his naked body and causing him to feel a bit vulnerable.

"He must be taught." Dorothy explained. "You will help him learn."

She brought her lips close to Duo's ear, watching as the man tensed in jealousy. He had thought Dorothy had brought him here for a particular reason. Little did he know he would be refused and meet his death soon.

"As a vampire, you will need to feed." She whispered, Duo amazed he could hear her at the volume in which she was speaking. "You are gifted with talents in which to draw your prey to you. Use them Duo, bring him to you."

Duo looked to Dorothy, unsure of just how he was to do that, but she only smiled at him in reassurance and he was looking to the man again. It was then he noticed the man was staring at him, a faint look of shame crossing his face as he was caught studying the naked body.

The feeling of desire washed over him and Duo matched it, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture as the man stepped forward. Soon enough a cloth covered muscled chest was pressed against his, Duo unable to decipher what feeling was building deep inside him as the visitor's heartbeat thundered in his ear.

He squeaked in surprise as rough hands grabbed his backside, and he looked to Dorothy, who only reached out to entangle her hands in the gentleman's hair. Slowly she revealed his neck, and then looked to Duo, almost demanding that he make his move. Though he wasn't sure what to do, it would seem his body did and soon he was biting down.

His arms tightened, as his prey broke from his trance, screaming in horror as he tried to pull free. Blood was hitting his tongue and even if he wanted to stop, he wasn't able to. Only when the man's struggling had waned did Duo pull back, pushing the now dead body away in disappointment. He had just killed a man, had drank his blood, but that wasn't what disappointed him. The man hadn't been enough.

"Dorothy, bring me more." He ordered her.

The vampiress only laughed, reaching a hand to wipe the dripping blood from the corners of Duo's mouth. Newborn fledglings were always so messy.

"No, you must learn to hunt on your own." She explained.

"Then show me!"

"Be patient."

That was Trowa's voice and Duo rushed from the tub into his master's arms, fierce eyes looking up to him.

"Master-"

"I will take you when night comes again." Trowa interrupted before he could even begin to beg. "For now we must sleep."

Reluctantly Duo agreed, looking back one last time to the dead body and wondering what was to become of it.

"I will get rid of it." Dorothy assured him, shooing the two away. "Away with you both, you'll need your rest. There's much to learn and be taught tomorrow."

Lagging behind only so that Duo could dress in clean clothes, sire and child left the room, Dorothy smiling at their retreating forms. It would do well for Trowa having a young one around. She was happy for him, and she was anxious to see what type of vampire Duo would be.

T.B.C.

Yes, I know I suck. Unfortunately, the story has taken a turn into the vampires' past and since this was Duo centric, the other fledging will have his opportunity in the next chapter. So two more flashback chapters and then we go back to the story line. I haven't even written it yet and I'm excited as to what will happen. I do know there's more lemons and such in the future. I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave your reviews, I love hearing from you guys.


	12. Chapter 11: LimeLemon Warning

Author's Note: Oi, I have no idea how I'm able to go on. I'm writing this thing and I'm curious as to what will happen. Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter, you have inspired me. I shall now give you another smidgen of the past; we get to meet widdle Heero.

Warnings: More pedophilia, which I am slightly ashamed of. Ooh, and Duo's mean and kind of a brat, so all you Duo fans don't hurt me. Of course there's OOCness and some of the stuff I warned you about in previous chapters. Yes, well carry on. We shall meet again at the ending of this chapter.

xoxoPASToxox

Trowa walked the streets of Paris, enjoying for the moment a bit of peace and quiet. He had been begged to go hunting, but he had declined, telling his fledgling that he would do so when he was ready. He sighed as he remembered the argument that had brought on, but smiled as he also remembered the events that followed as they made amends.

Even in this undead curse, Duo was beautiful and Trowa found himself falling for him anew every moment of every night. He had hesitated, and had been reluctant to change the young man, but after some drastic encouragement he had done so. His companion Dorothy had held them in her stead until Duo's first hunt was seen through. Then they left to return to London, but only to pack and leave.

Duo had insisted that they leave; he wanted to go somewhere new. Prussia became their new home, and there they stayed until the middle of the 18th century. They lived that point in their immortal lives somewhat peacefully, though Trowa admitted, there were nights when Duo was too much for him.

Prone to usually getting his way and throwing a fit when he didn't, the young vampire was a handful. Trowa could remember many a fight which usually ended up in a small massacre of people in a neighboring town. It was Duo's way of acting out, since he was very much aware that Trowa disapproved of such carnage.

He was punished, many times sealed away in an iron coffin that the older vampire had designed especially for him. However, that brought about even more fights and bloodshed. Though they fought, it wasn't as if it was all they did. Duo was a curious and fast learning vampire. It amused Trowa that the young Nightwalker had so many questions.

He was also happy and quite content with the hundreds of moments he spent close to his young ward. A lot of which usually consisted of lovemaking; that in itself was a shock. Master learned along with the student that their bodies were capable of such a feat. Trowa had been educated that it was impossible, even though he was capable of seduction, as well as feeling lust.

His own master, a vampire who he mercilessly slain, had told him false information; or at least half of the truth. It was difficult to perform such an act, though not impossible. Blood was the key factor and it was usually after hunting that he and Duo found themselves in the throes of passion.

Green eyes searched the somewhat empty streets, aware that he was being watched and he paused in his steps. He would wait for whomever it was to step forward. They did so soon enough and Trowa smiled, meeting bright violet eyes and pouting lips pulled into a mischievous smile.

"So now you're ready?" Duo asked him, walking closer. "Shall I join you?"

Trowa didn't pull away from the arms that wrapped around him, in fact, he welcomed them. That and the kiss that Duo was eager to place on his lips and the fervor with which it was wrought told Trowa one thing. Duo had hunted for one purpose only. He pulled away to study his child further, gently prying away from him, though he would rather pull him closer. Or into an alleyway, but he had to resist.

"I have not fed." Trowa told him, continuing before the boy could reply. "I do not wish to feed. My hunger does not need to be sated just yet."

Duo only scoffed, finding his way back into his sire's arms and resting his head atop his shoulder. He sighed as his eyes fell closed, his ears listening to the slow and rhythmic beating of his master's heart. It was a wonder how the two had managed after over four hundred years to stay so close.

Then again, Duo didn't think he could ever leave. He grew angry and annoyed with his master more than he liked to admit, but he couldn't help but always find his way back. He loved his master and he had finally confessed it over a century ago, with actual words. Trowa was the only person he ever loved.

He felt strongly for Lady Dorothy, but he wasn't in love with her. She was a teacher to him and the occasional escape. He often compared her to the parent a child would run to in order to get his way; which he did often enough. However, their sudden residence in Paris wasn't his fault. This time Dorothy had welcomed them, claiming that she had something important to share with them.

Upon arriving in Paris, it was learned that she was traveling. So they were waiting for her return and had been doing so for a month now. Wherever Dorothy was, she was taking her sweet time in returning.

"When is Lady coming back?" Duo asked suddenly, frowning as he looked up at the banged vampire. "She was to return weeks ago."

"She'll come when she comes." Trowa answered, turning so that Duo was now beside him. "You have to be patient."

The two began quietly strolling the streets, Duo tucked under Trowa's arm and close to his side. The two gained many wary and perplexed stares, but they ignored them. They could care less of what the Parisians thought of them.

xoxoxox

Duo was lying on the couch in the den lost in a book, the fire blazing in the fireplace, when he was aware of a familiar presence within the house. He pulled away from his book, a frown set on his face as he realized that it wasn't alone. She had finally returned from her travels, but she had brought company.

The doorway was soon enough occupied with her presence and Duo couldn't help but smile at her appearance. All he needed was her open arms and he was standing from the couch, taking her in his and hugging her with a laugh. It was good to see her again. Dorothy pulled away to smile up at him before placing a kiss to his forehead, her hand gently petting his cheek.

She had missed her mischievous devil and she was glad to see him. Though he was alone, she knew Trowa wasn't far and she was dying to see him as well.

"I usually am reluctant to return back home." Dorothy began, pulling Duo into a hug again. "But knowing that you were here waiting for me, I could not wait to return, il mio diavolo piccolo."(1)

"Is he the only one that you missed?"

The question caused her to turn to the second doorway of the room, her lips taking a smile as her eyes landed on her elder.

"Of course not, il mio amore. I have missed you as well."

It was he who beckoned this time and she answered his call, moving forward and allowing herself to be taken in his arms. She had truly missed him, and she was glad to be with him again for this short moment. The two were bound to part from her again when they were ready.

"I have brought a gift for you both." She told him, her head resting on his shoulder.

Trowa brought a hand up to stroke her hair, a small smile taking his lips as his chin rested gently atop her head. He hadn't been this close to her in years. Even when Duo would run off to her, he never followed after him, so it had truly been a long time. She was the first that he had ever been this close with and he would never be able to forget it.

He kissed the top of her head, pulling away to smile down at her. He would enjoy these few moments with her as they lasted, he and Duo would not stay long.

"A gift?" He questioned, watching her nod. "Well, where is this gift?"

Dorothy pulled away, walking back to the doors from which she had come and disappeared. The two vampires that were left looked to each other in confusion, not quite sure what it could be. Dorothy wasn't keen on giving presents; in fact she had never truly given them one. They were eager to see just what it was.

The look of bafflement was replaced with a frown as Trowa felt and heard the nervous heartbeat. There was an unknown human in the household; a new addition it would seem.

Dorothy was the first to return and following behind her was a boy. Green eyes were unable to pull away from him and Dorothy smiled as she watched him. She was expecting this; in fact, she had wanted it to happen.

Trowa wasn't sure how to explain what he was feeling as he watched the teenaged boy, his body having gone limp. He was simply stunning and he couldn't help but feel a small desire in that instant. Blue eyes avoided looking up at him and the vampire couldn't help but notice that they were beautiful.

Everything about this boy was beautiful, from his unruly chocolate locks to his compact frame. If this was his gift, he would gladly accept it.

While his master stared in wonder, Duo had slowly backed away with the boy's presence. This newcomer was captivating and it made Duo glare in suspicion. Why would his lady bring him here? Violet eyes looked to his master, who stood enraptured by the breathtaking mortal, and jealous rage was fast to fill him.

His master was his own and no one else's. He would not have him taken away; not if he had a fighting chance. Dorothy had better keep her gift. He wanted nothing to do with this boy.

"Do you like him?" Dorothy asked, a smile fitting her face as she pushed Heero forward.

The boy stumbled just a bit, stopping before Trowa, his eyes never looking up to the stranger. He had been told that he would meet his new master by Lady Dorothy. She had brought him here from the Orient, saving him from a life of poverty and a malicious shogun. He had been reluctant to leave Japan, but had been coaxed by her.

They had met at night by the docks, where he worked for a fisherman, the only man who would put up with him. He was not wanted back home, a child fathered by a man from the West. He was always on the brunt end of harassment and he put up with it. There were too many that were willing to get him into trouble, lay false claims so that he could be judged to lose his life.

He had been saved from any inkling of such a fate when his eyes had met with hers. He had been drawn to her and she had welcomed him, accepting him as if he were her own son. He did not know her long, but she offered him freedom and he had grabbed it without hesitating.

On the trip here, she had mentioned a friend of hers, a man who he could live with and who would take care of him. Dorothy had promised that he would be treated well with him. He had asked her if he could not stay with her and she had gently laughed, stroking his hair as they sat on the ship's deck in the moonlight. It was only at night that she ventured out of the cabin and he had never dared ask her why.

"I am rarely in my own house, Heero." She had answered him, her eyes shining in the moonlight. "I would think it a lonely life for you should you stay with me. You shall come to like your new master, you will see. With him you will not feel so alone and he will love you more than I ever could."

So he had agreed and had traveled with her to France. As they neared Paris, his heart had been taken with anxiety and even now as he stood before this magnificent man, he was a bit intimidated. Dorothy had explained to him that Trowa was a sight to behold, now Heero was able to see that Dorothy had spoken nothing but the truth.

He was brought from his thoughts as cold fingers reached out to touch his cheek, his eyes rising to stare into jade. His nervousness was replaced with a desire, one he had never before felt so strongly. He would follow this man's every beck and call, if it meant he would be near him always.

"You would give him to me?" Trowa questioned the vampiress, his hand gently caressing Heero's face.

"He is yours if you wish to have him." Dorothy answered him.

Trowa smiled then, both hands now cupping Heero's face as the teenaged boy stared up at him, studying those blue eyes intently.

"Oh yes." He spoke softly, unable to look away. "I wish it."

The sound of glass breaking directed all their stares to Duo, the seething vampire obviously displeased. Unconsciously, Trowa drew Heero closer to him in a protective manner. Duo did not approve and the room was becoming stifled with his envy and anger. He was not happy with this new addition and Trowa feared that it meant harm for the young mortal.

Dorothy frowned at the priceless statuette that lay broken on the floor, obviously thrown there by the braided vampire. She should have known that he would not approve. Too many times had Duo warned her that she was too close to Trowa's heart. He had laid claim to him and would not easily share. Though he said it in a joking manner, she knew just how serious he was.

"So eagerly you beg for this mortal?" Duo questioned, his master frowning at the word in which he used to address Heero. "Are you so lonely that my company is not enough?"

"Duo, you will mind your words." He warned, stealthy indicating about Heero.

He was sure that Dorothy had not mentioned what they were, as she was in favor of never allowing humans to know their secret. She found it safer that way. Trowa felt they should know, but with time. It would seem Duo didn't care either way.

"I'll mind nothing." He responded, beginning to circle the others. "Tell me, Master. Have you grown tired of me?"

"Duo, you're acting foolish." Dorothy warned.

"You take him back." The braided Nightwalker ordered her, his eyes glaring. "I will not welcome him to my home, I will not stand for his presence by my side and I will not hold back my wrath should he be taken along with us."

Heero's gasp of fear was not missed and Trowa held him closer, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. Duo was not bothering to shield his animosity and he was so willingly revealing his vampiric nature. He had never thought that Duo would be so jealous as to threaten harm to an innocent boy, then again Duo was unpredictable.

Their eyes locked as his fledging turned to him and Trowa let his own anger rise as Duo seemed intent on getting his way. He was the elder and master here. He would not let his child give the orders. If he wanted Heero to share their home, then that was how it would be, no argument and no room for persuasion. Duo would have to bear it, like it or not.

"How dare you threaten him in my presence!" Trowa growled out, releasing Heero to step toward his young one.

Duo backed away, though his scowl stayed in its place. He knew Trowa would get angry with him, but he would not back down. He would make sure that this Heero never stepped foot inside of their house, and if it meant risking a fight with his master, then so be it.

"I would kill him if you but gave me a chance!"

"Trowa, no!"

Dorothy's scream was all the warning he got and soon Duo found himself pushed against a wall, his throat caught in a crushing grip. Had he still been mortal, he was sure it would have killed him. His immortality prevented such a thing, but it did nothing for his agony. He wouldn't cry out, he was much too stubborn do so.

"Heero, go from the room." Dorothy cautioned, waving the boy away.

Wide-eyed and frightened, Heero did as was told, Dorothy closing the door as he left. She could not let the boy see Trowa this way and risk him fearing the man she was sending him off with. Quickly she turned back to her love and his child, rushing toward them to try and pry Trowa away. She was easily pushed aside, Trowa's rage giving him the strength he so rarely let loose.

"Too long have I dealt with this behavior of yours. Your jealousy, your rage, your insistent tantrums as if you were nothing more than a child." Trowa seethed, his eyes watching Duo struggle for breath. "It is _I_ who am the Master here, so it is _my _word that is final. You will not lay a hand on that boy or else child or not, I shall be sure to end your immortal life. You will do well to heed my word, Duo, or else risk my own wrath."

Violet eyes glared back at him, glistening with tears of rage as Duo looked back at his sire. He felt betrayed at this moment and he wasn't sure what he could do. It felt as if Trowa was abandoning him and would easily replace him with his new toy. His eyes then look to Dorothy, angry with her as well. It was her fault as much as Heero's. She was the one who had offered the gift in the first place.

"He will be treated civilly." Trowa went on, attracting Duo's attention again. "Is that understood?"

Duo gave him no answer, his eyes merely glaring back at his elder, having long stopped in fighting to be free of his hold. However, as the grip tightened, he found it best to give in. To avoid any further pain, he would reluctantly do as told.

"As you wish, Master." He bit out sarcastically.

Trowa finally let him go, turning away and leaving the room in search of Heero without a glance back. Duo watched him go, unable to stop the tears from falling down his face, his body tensed in an anger he could not release; at least not here. Dorothy's movement drew him to look at her and he glared with an intensity to make her back away cautiously. He hated her for what she had done.

"Duo-"

"Say nothing to me!" He screamed, his eyes growing fierce as his rage turned to ravenous hunger. "I will never forgive you for what you have done to me! He was mine, Dorothy and you knew this! You knew!"

"Are you so selfish that you do not think it best he have another?" She countered, her own eyes glaring. "Is he meant for only you? Can you love no other than him?"

"I did once." Duo answered her, turning for the other doorway. "Do you not remember that you both took him away from me? Now you do it again with your present."

Dorothy watched him as he began to storm out, moving with vampiric speed to block his way, her blue eyes narrowing onto him. Who knew what he planned once he left this room and she thought it best to stop him as soon as she could.

"You mean harm once you leave here."

"Move from my way, woman." Duo warned, his eyes flashing menacingly. "Lest I slate my hunger on _you_."

She did as he wanted, stepping aside and letting him pass. It was best that he release his anger in whatever way he please. At least it meant that Heero would be safe. She went in search of Trowa and Heero, stopping at a distance to watch them in the parlor. Though Trowa smiled, she could read in his eyes that he was already regretting the way he had treated his fledgling. She wasn't so sure if it was the best way to deal with him, but he had to do something. She knew Duo well enough that the young Nightwalker would have went through with his word. Heero would have been dead before sunrise. Like his Master, Duo had killed in jealousy before; he would not have hesitated to do so again.

Heero seemed to have sensed Trowa's distress, for he was trying his best to comfort his new guardian. She smiled as she watched Trowa accept it, as well as steal a short kiss from the boy. She had chosen well; Heero would fit in quite nicely, if they managed to get Duo to change his opinion of him.

She sighed as she thought of him, her little devil. She wished that he would come around. He deserved Heero as much as Trowa did and she was sure he could love him, if he gave the boy a chance. The only thing she could do was wait and see.

xoxoxox

It was not easy, as Trowa had expected, having his fledgling and the mortal boy he despised in the same house. Duo was fast to show his animosity with every opportunity. It was obvious that he was not happy with Heero taking residence with them and he feared that Duo would soon act on impulse, regardless of Trowa's warnings.

Heero was kept close by his side, and as result of that, Trowa rarely hunted. He was too reluctant to give Duo even the smallest opportunity. He did not think he would ever fear his own child, but it was happening. He would watch Duo stare at Heero, a devilish smirk on his lips, and he knew that all the youngling wanted was the right moment.

Dorothy had given Heero to him with the boy at age fifteen, now Heero stood at age twenty. For five years Trowa had managed to lead the boy from harm, he wasn't so sure how long he would be able to do so.

He sighed as he sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair as he watched Heero, who sat comfortably on a couch. He held in his hand a book, one which he was deeply enraptured with and Trowa couldn't help but smile. It quickly turned to a solemn expression as he felt his hunger claw at him from inside.

He had been thirsting for Heero since the day Dorothy had so willingly given the boy to him. His hunger had never been as strong as it was now, except for when he had once thirsted for Duo. It did not help that he nearly never fed; much too busy with making sure Heero was safe from his child. Now he wondered who he should protect Heero from; Duo or himself?

He turned his eyes away, trying his best to calm himself. He would be sure to feed tonight when Duo was gone as well. He had to sate it as best as he could, though he knew he would never truly be satisfied until his body was given the blood it longed for.

"Your hunger must be painful to endure." A voice whispered in his ear.

Though it shocked him, he did not show it. Trowa hadn't heard nor felt Duo approaching, and it caused him to feel just a bit wary. His senses were dulled with his malnourishment and Duo was taking full advantage of that. He looked beside him to where Duo now stood, the younger vampire looking back at him with a stoic face.

Duo said nothing else as he leaned against the desk, aware that Heero was staring in their direction. He ignored the boy for now; he was not here for him.

"What is it that you want?" Trowa questioned, ready to act should Duo try anything against the young mortal.

The braided Nightwalker only shrugged, offering his master a small smile before those delectable lips were pouting. A new hunger rose in Trowa at the sight. It had been too long since he and Duo had been intimate; he longed for it again.

"Must you always be so suspicious of me?" Duo questioned, his voice revealing he was hurt.

His master wasn't sure if it was feigned or not, but he couldn't help but feel the least bit guilty. Duo was soon smiling again, easily sliding into his elder's lap, enjoying as he felt Heero's own jealousy. He would ignore the boy further, however. Trowa would be his for tonight. The mortal had had him long enough.

"I am hungry." He murmured, his voice a sultry whisper.

He let Trowa decide which hunger he was filled with, gasping as hands desperately grabbed hold of his hips. Though he was still angry with his sire, he couldn't help but want him still. It had been too long since he distanced himself from him and he would stand for it no longer. Heero would be dealt with at a later time, for now he wanted to think of the one in front of him.

Trowa was trembling now, unable to decipher his own hunger. With Duo eagerly in his lap and Heero so close and wanting him, as well as his lust for blood painfully making itself known, he wasn't sure what to do. Green eyes stared into violet and his hands pulled Duo closer, the younger vampire letting loose a moan that was too low for Heero's ears to catch.

He could not do this until he had hunted, nor could he do it with his human ward present. Duo seemed to understand and he leaned forward to bring his lips to Trowa's ear, teasing him as his lips brushed his ear with every word he spoke.

"Send him away." he begged, smiling as Trowa's hands slowly traveled his body. "You and I shall leave when he is gone. Give me this one night, Master. He can take you again when we are through."

Over Duo's shoulder, Trowa looked to Heero, who though jealous seemed unable to look away at the sight of them. His arousal was unmistakable and it did little to help him control his hunger. Duo would get his way. He had to send Heero away.

"Heero, leave us." Was his simple order.

Heero was obedient, a trait that Trowa was proud of, and he left with only a nod. As soon as the door to his study was closed, Trowa could hold back no longer. Mouths met in a blissful kiss, tongue's clashing and teeth biting. Duo held tightly as he was lifted and then laid back on to the desk, moaning as the taste of blood hit his tongue.

His hands impatiently ripped at Trowa's shirt, wanting to feel him, having been deprived for so long. His own fault really, but he would never admit it. As Trowa's tongue continued to stroke every corner of his mouth, Duo could only writhe and moan beneath him, his body begging for him.

He whined as his Master pulled away, looking down at him with green eyes now streaked with red. His hunger had broken free and there was no stopping it; he could only sate it. Duo smiled at the sight, aware that Trowa's fangs had yet to retract, as his Master's body trembled with his obvious attempt at resistance.

"Shall we hunt?" Duo questioned, running his palm across a sharp fang.

The smell of blood was hard to resist and though Trowa was none but gentle, Duo laughed as his blood was greedily taken, teeth burying into his wrist. Trowa pulled away after some time, his eyes having gone completely red; matching the blood he was thirsting for. Duo knew the answer before it was spoken.

"Yes, I think we shall."

xoxoxox

Heero sat quietly in his room. His book lay forgotten on his bed beside him; his mind much more occupied with what had occurred back in his Master's study. He had never thought the two had shared an intimacy such as that, though he should have suspected with Duo's behavior.

"I am hungry."

He had heard the word's Duo had whispered, not sure if he was meant to hear it or not. It had sent a jolt of pleasure, as well as a paralyzing fear, down his spine. The hunger in which Duo spoke of was not for food. If it was he knew it was not for bread, or meat or anything else he could think of.

It was obvious that his Master was hungry for it as well. Trowa's eyes had shown it and the way his body trembled, it betrayed him by revealing what he was most likely trying to hide. Duo had further ignored his presence and Heero had watched as the braided man had carried on with his seduction.

With every shudder that had passed through their bodies, Heero had felt it too. Every inch Trowa's hand had moved on Duo, the blue-eyed boy swore he could feel that as well. His body was becoming aroused at the sight and when Trowa had sent him away, he had gladly left.

Now he waited for them. He had heard them leave, but they had yet to return. It had already been an hour. He could only wonder what they were doing so late, when even the taverns were closed at this time of night.

The sound of a door slamming down the hall alerted him that someone was back. He assumed that it was Duo, since a slamming door usually meant that he was angry and that usually meant there was a fight. So assuming that Trowa would be brooding, as he usually did after such occurrences, Heero thought it best to hold company with him.

He stood from his bed and made his way out the door. He was curious as to what they had fought about this time. It was usually him, but there were instances when he was not the subject. He made it to Trowa's door in no time, his hand reaching out for the doorknob, and stopping mere inches away from it.

His eyes stared at the door curiously as he heard the bed groaning and muffled screaming could be heard. It was Duo's voice, but he seemed not to be in pain. Trowa was speaking to him, in a language that he rarely used. Though he could not understand the words, he knew they were intimate and meant for only Duo's ears.

He found it best he leave, as his mind quickly figured out what the two were doing in there, but he was frozen to the spot. His hand lowered back to his side, though his fingers itched to turn the knob and push open the door. He shouldn't be here; he had to go.

Before he could even move, the knob was twisting on its own and the door slowly opened. It wasn't much where he could be seen, but it was enough for him to see. Curiosity pushed him forward and blue eyes could not look away as he peeked in.

Master and apprentice, as Heero figured them to be, lay together in heated passion. Duo beneath his master, who so willingly drove into him, the bed protesting every time they moved. Duo was fast to match it, moaning with every thrust that Trowa gave, his body wantonly meeting the one above him.

Heero continued to stare, his eyes raking over the beautiful bodies, every sound of passion sending warmth throughout his body. His own body was wanting, his groin tightening with every cry from Duo's lips, every whisper that fell from Trowa. He could easily find himself there, in either position.

He was nearly too far gone in his fantasy, that he almost missed that he had been caught. He was unsure of what to do now that violet eyes stared back at him, clouded with lust and yet shining in laughter. The braided man laughed indeed, though it turned into a moan, his eyes sliding closed in pleasure.

_Can you see now, Heero, who he belongs to?_

Heero wasn't sure how he was able to hear Duo's voice, the young man's lips had not moved. He watched Duo pull Trowa in for a kiss, the younger of the two moaning as their master's thrusts became more forceful. Even through his confusion, Heero was becoming more aroused at the sight.

_Is it not obvious?_

He didn't bother in questioning Duo's voice in his head. He was sure he was imagining it. Duo was looking at him again and this time he looked to his master instead, since he did not wish to truly look away.

"Yes Master, take me." Duo was whimpering and he was looking to him again.

_I need only speak the words and he will do as I bid._

"More." Duo was begging, as if to prove a point. "Please, Master. Faster. . . harder."

His point was proven as Trowa did just that, the two groaning as he did so, the headboard now knocking violently against the wall. Heero's eyes narrowed as Duo's laughter flitted through his head, mocking and teasing him at the same time. Lust was fast turning to jealousy and anger, Heero wanting nothing more than to bring their moment to an abrupt end.

Duo seemed to sense his thoughts and he smiled, locking his legs possessively around Trowa's waist.

_Would you want him if you knew the truth? Do you know what we are?_

The subject had changed, but Heero was angered all the same by the question.

"Lovers." He murmured, Duo's laughter echoing in his head once again.

"Watch." Was the mouthed word and Heero did what was bid.

Their bodies began to move with fervor, Duo's screams having long grown louder, his eyes half lidded and begging up at the banged man. Trowa pulled him closer, their mouths closing in a heated kiss, as he shifted their bodies. Duo now sat in their master's lap, the braided man wantonly bouncing, his arms clinging to Trowa as they moved.

By the sound of their screams, Heero didn't have to guess what was soon to come, and it thought it best he give them privacy for at least that. It would seem Duo wanted him to do otherwise.

_Don't you dare look away._

Cobalt eyes followed orders and he watched as Trowa was the first to finish, burying himself one last time into Duo, and then he was moving forward to bury his teeth into Duo's offered neck. Heero's eyes widened at the sight, his body stumbling back in his disbelief. Duo followed, with his own teeth piercing Trowa's shoulder, his scream muffled as he came as well and sharp nails slicing through the skin of Trowa's arms.

The older man barely winced, pulling away to lick his blood stained lips. Duo pulled away as well, sated in his passion, to smile up at his elder. Lips met in a hungry kiss, Trowa greedily lapping away every drop of blood that Duo held on his lips.

_We are something to be feared._

"Vampire."

Heero's blood ran cold at the word and he couldn't help but whimper, his feet taking him away from the door slowly. Inside the room, Trowa pulled away from their kiss, his face frowning at Duo's muffled word.

"Why do you say it?" He questioned, now suspicious.

As Duo kept silent, he couldn't help but sense what his passion had clouded. Fear was thick in the air and Trowa was fast to recognize that it was fear of him. As Duo smiled up at him in a sly manner, he quickly pulled away; trying to distance himself from is child. What had he done?

"What will he think now of his beloved Master?"

Green eyes widened at the words and Trowa looked to the door, his eyes locking with horrified blue, Heero pressing against the wall in an attempt to stay as far away as possible.

"He saw." Trowa mumbled, his stomach curling. "You let him see."

He climbed out of bed, easily avoiding Duo's reach as he headed for the door. He had to explain, he had to let Heero know that he would never hurt him.

"No!" The chocolate-haired boy cried as he fully opened the door. "Stay away!"

He watched as his young mortal was soon fleeing, running down the hall in an attempt to escape. This was his fault. He should have never let this happen here. He and Duo should have had sense enough to find an empty room at an inn. Then again, this was what Duo wanted.

He turned angered eyes back to his fledgling, who was now matching his glare, obviously not the least bit sorry for what he had done. He should have known that too easily Duo was returning to him, should have guessed the ill content hidden within it. He had been too blind and too desperate to figure it out.

"Are you happy?" He questioned angrily.

"Quite." Duo bit out, not in the slightest intimidated.

Trowa held back his rage, finding it useless at best. Duo would continue to do as he pleased; there was no sense in trying to fight it. He took to dressing himself, knowing that he would have to go after Heero. The boy had left the manor; it was not safe on the streets. He paused in gathering his clothes as Duo was now blocking his path and he demanded an explanation without asking verbally.

"What good is it now to go after him?" Duo questioned, Trowa pushing him aside. "He knows your secret and loves you no longer."

He followed after Trowa, intent on getting his every word out. Trowa was doing himself no good trying to rectify what was done. Heero had seen and was now too afraid to stay with them. They were better off letting the boy go. His master should know well enough that vampire and mortal could coincide but for so long. He pulled at Trowa to get his attention, the older vampire easily jerking away from him and continuing to dress himself.

"You learned my secret once as well." Trowa finally spoke, though he did not turn to look at his fledgling. "And here you stand with me."

"What does that mean?" Duo questioned. "You will change him as well?"

He watched Trowa pause in buttoning his shirt, green eyes looking to him in warning, the braided vampire obviously having touched a tender subject.

"You have thought of it." He guessed; the confirmation was Trowa's sudden avoidance of eye contact.

He could not decipher how to feel with this new discovery. Not even rage seemed to rise with this news. He was shocked beyond feeling any emotion at the moment. He had gone numb. Violet eyes stared at his sire, who now hurriedly placed on his boots, not sure what he could say.

"Am I not enough?" He softly questioned.

Trowa looked up at his younger companion, the braided creature having lost for the moment all traces of his jealousy and anger.

"You are more than enough." He answered.

Duo's stoniness was short-lived, his eyes narrowing in obvious displeasure. Trowa found it best to leave to avoid whatever result this would bring.

"More than enough but still you yearn for another!" Duo screamed.

Trowa stopped in the doorway at the words, looking back at his child who was quivering in rage. He tried hard enough to never get Duo this upset; it usually resulted in many innocent people dead as his release of frustration.

"He is the reason you do not feed." Duo went on, his voice no longer yelling but still furious. "He is why night after night you starve yourself, resisting the undeniable need for him."

Trowa turned to face him as Duo walked closer, his body tensing nervously with every step his fledgling took.

"My fight ends here." Duo announced, Trowa not sure to believe the words or not.

He managed not to flinch as Duo reached out, his hands taking hold of Trowa's face, gently pulling the older vampire closer. He did not kiss him, though it seemed as if that was what he meant to do, he only watched him. Violet eyes traveled back and forth, as if taking the Nightwalker's features into memory. He finally stopped after a few moments, looking into his master's eyes and Trowa unable to look away.

"Go on." He softly told him, "Foolishly hold back, but you will see soon enough. Your hunger will cause you to act on instinct and you will be unable to hold back. I only wish that in your foolishness you manage to kill your precious Heero, ridding me of his existence and returning what was once mine."

In a disgusted manner, Duo pushed him away, storming out of the room with no attempt to dress himself. Trowa stood there long after he left, his child's words having stunned him into a stupor. Hate seemed to be too weak a word for what Duo felt towards the young human and Trowa was second guessing his decision to go after him. It was with effort that he finally left to look for him, knowing Dorothy would never forgive him should Heero manage to get into trouble worse than Duo.

He would admit that he was hesitant. Duo had revealed a truth that he had tried too hard to deny and with that done, his hunger had returned. He would have to hold out. He would make sure that Heero never tasted the immortal kiss.

xoxoxox

Two months later had seen Trowa breaking his oath. He had tried to resist, but he had failed. Duo was no help at all. Whatever new strategy he had devised included him insisting that Trowa take Heero. His temptation was harder to resist with his fledging urging him to give in to desire.

He had gone to such lengths to avoid it. He slept away from the house during the day and only returned in the evening to receive Duo and disappear into the night. As much as the younger vampire had stopped trying to hurt Heero himself, Trowa was cautious. He would never allow himself to be alone with the boy and when he was, he found himself leaving without an explanation, finding a different room to occupy.

It had gone well and Trowa thought that he had succeeded, but he found out how wrong he was when Heero had become frustrated. It wasn't easy to get the boy back, after having scared him a few months back. Heero had been reluctant and it took a lot of coaxing to bring him home and though he returned, he was sure to keep his distance.

However, a few weeks later saw the boy back in Trowa's arm. Though now it was Trowa who had to distance himself. His yearning was beyond painful and with Heero so close, his vampiric nature was fighting to break free. He couldn't outrun him for too long, Heero was confronting him soon enough and it was that night that Trowa had lost control.

When he had come to his senses, Heero was in his arms slowly bleeding to death, Duo was in the doorway with an air of satisfaction. Trowa left for Dorothy then, the vampiress guiding the way and though he didn't want it to begin with, he was giving Heero the "gift" Duo had once begged him for.

He was unable to watch the boy transform, locking himself outside on the balcony as Heero began to retch. He was upset with himself for being so stupid. Twice now it had happened and he had vowed both times to never allow it. He wanted to comfort the newly changing vampire as Heero called out for him, sobbing in obvious discomfort as his stomach forced every last remnant of mortal nourishment from him.

One of the balcony doors opened, though he didn't bother to turn to see who came to join him, Heero's sobbing having softened to whimpers. He barely missed the slight touch on his shoulder and he turned to look at her then, Dorothy looking up at him sympathetically. She knew what he was feeling and she wished she knew how to comfort him.

"His pain is done." She announced softly, running a hand through an auburn bang. "Will you not go to him?"

He wasn't sure that he could face him. What if Heero turned to hate him as he had done with his own master? Though he was not changed against his will, the moment he was able to declare himself a vampire was the moment he felt nothing but contempt for the man who had granted him this immortality. He was unable to explain it then and he was still unable to explain it now.

It was odd how he did not have this feeling of fear when he had changed Duo, but now with Heero, he wasn't sure if the newborn would accept him. He looked to his old companion for reassurance, the blonde vampiress gently smiling at him and placing a kiss to his cheek.

"Go to him, il mio amore." She coaxed, gently stroking his cheek. "He needs you now."

He nodded to her, taking the hand that caressed him and placing a kiss of gratitude to it. Then with a deep breath, he left her out on the balcony and returned to her bedroom. The Japanese vampire was curled up on the floor, far away from the mess that he had caused, his back facing it as if he were ashamed. Trowa was sure that he was, as he had been when it had happened to him.

He braved walking closer to the trembling mass, his hand gently resting on Heero's shoulder as he took to kneeling beside him. He shushed him, as he was still whimpering and at his touch Heero turned to look at him. He was shocked to find the young vampire shooting into his arms, clinging to him in a desperation that was nearly stifling.

"I thought you left me." He was soon sobbing again, Trowa feeling guilty. "I thought you'd abandoned me."

"No, Heero." Trowa reassured him, shushing him all the while. "I did no such thing. I was still here, I could never abandon you."

Vampiric eyes looked up at him, swimming with fear and uncertainty, as well as heavy with tears. Trowa let his hand wipe them away, his lips kissing those that fell afterwards. Heero was soon relaxing in his arms, his crying quieted as he began to grow calm. His grip on Trowa never loosened, though his sire didn't mind in the slightest.

"Don't ever leave me, Master." He was soon mumbling, curling up more into Trowa's arms. "Don't you dare leave me."

Though it was a promise that could easily be broken, Trowa found he couldn't do otherwise.

"Never." He promised with a kiss to Heero's head. "I will always be with you."

Dorothy's return brought them both to look at her, the blonde Nightwalker smiling down at them. She was happy that the two were bonding so easily, though she worried still. Duo would not be happy and though Heero was no longer mortal, he was still vulnerable in his young age.

She pushed those thoughts aside for the moment; there were things that had to be done.

"Come, Heero." She called, moving forward. "I had a bath fixed for you. Once you are clean, your Master and I shall take you out tonight."

Heero frowned at her curiously, Trowa smiling at the look of bafflement on his newest child's face.

"Where are we going?" Heero asked as he was lead from the room.

"Hunting.",Trowa answered, him and Dorothy sharing a knowing smile.

xoxoxox

As was to be expected, Duo was nowhere near pleased with the permanent addition to their household. In fact, when Trowa had returned to London (Duo had insisted they take residence there again), the braided vampire had thrown a fit. It came to the point where he and Heero had ended up fighting and poor Heero suffered injuries, being the youngest and less skilled of the two.

Trowa was not pleased and the old habit of punishing Duo was taken up again. For two weeks he was locked away in his metal coffin for having attacked his brother. When he was finally released, he left the manor, his rage obviously never having cooled during that brief period of solitary confinement. In fact, Trowa swore he had made it worse.

He found out how right he was when a pile of corpses were found on his bed, each poor soul holding brown hair and blue eyes. Duo was intent on expressing his contempt and Trowa was growing nervous with each passing day. As he had done when Heero was mortal, the new fledging was rare to leave his side.

It was only once that Trowa had let him go off on his own and it was that one chance that Duo needed and had so easily grabbed hold of. Trowa was now searching the streets for his youngest, dawn ready to approach in an hour. He was sure that Heero would find shelter before then, but he had a feeling that the vampire was in trouble.

When he was about to give up hope, he thought it best to ask questions and he knew just who to ask.

He found Duo in the library, the braided vampire humming to himself as he read a book, a miniscule smile on his face. It was the sight of it that had Trowa's heart nearly stop in fear and he forced himself to not jump to conclusions too fast. He rushed over to his oldest, snatching the book away from him and watching down at him in suspicion.

"Where is he?" He demanded, watching Duo feign confusion.

"Where's whom?" The young one asked him.

Trowa threw the book to the floor, his eyes narrowing dangerously on the violet-eyed creature. He had no time for games.

"Don't toy with me, Duo." He warned, his voice dangerously low. "Where's Heero?"

"Heero's missing?" Duo asked him, obviously faking his shock. "How in earth did he manage to go missing?"

It was then that Trowa's patience ran out and Duo unconsciously backed away into the couch as fangs were bared to intimidate.

"What did you do with him!"

The bellowed words echoed throughout the library and violet eyes widened a bit in fear. He had never seen his master this angry. Perhaps he had gone too far this time? However, scared or not, he was not going to let him win.

"I did nothing! He shouted back, eager to defy even his own sire.

He barely outran Trowa's reach and he was soon pressing against a wall, his chest rising and falling with his pants. He was sacred, he couldn't hide it, but he refused to let Trowa get the upper hand. Heero was not welcome here; he would not endure him one moment longer.

"Where is he?" Trowa growled out again, stepping closer to his oldest child.

Duo was lucky to have moved fast enough, avoiding Trowa's grasp once again as his sire rushed for him. He now stood with the couch between them, unable to hide his obvious fear any longer. Scared or not, he continued to provoke, his stubborn streak not yet stomped out by his trepidation.

"Fledglings find themselves in trouble when left unaccompanied. He must have wandered a bit too far."

He was unable to escape this time, and soon found himself pushed against the wall with Trowa leering down at him, eyes fierce and beyond angry.

"I've grown tired of you and this stupid insistence of upsetting me!" Trowa yelled, Duo successfully holding back a whimper. "I will no longer put up with your foolishness! Heero is my child as well and you will treat him as such! You alone do not have me, you share me whether you like it or not! Now you tell me where he is or so help me, I will not be able to restrain myself from harming you in my anger!"

Violet eyes only stared back at him, the vampire stubbornly refusing to submit. He would _never_ share what was his and Trowa was only his. Heero had no right to him and he would stop at nothing until he was gone.

"Duo, you try my patience."

As fingers tightened on his arms, nails embedding in his flesh, Duo gave in. He wasn't willing to see what injuries he would have to heal if Trowa went through on his threat.

"East of town, he will greet the sun." Duo hissed, his eyes glaring up at his sire. "I thought he should see it one last time."

Anger was fast to drain away and be replaced with dread as Trowa's ears caught the words. He left as fast as his vampiric speed could take him, leaving Duo behind, the braided boy watching as he disappeared. He wasn't sure what to wish at the moment. Should Trowa not reach Heero in time, he was sure to suffer the same wrath as if he did.

xoxoxox

The sun had yet to peek over the horizon when Trowa reached as far east of the town that he could. That pushed him into a thick forest and he was sure that Heero was near. He could feel his child's fear, he was close and it was obvious wherever he was he was unable to free himself.

His skin was already burning, even in the safety of the trees and the sun having yet to begin to rise. It urged him to find his fledgling faster, knowing that with having been a vampire for only a few months, Heero would perish faster. Green eyes began to tear as he stared up at the sky, the sun already threatening to break free and he shielded his eyes with his hands as he searched on.

It was when he broke free of the trees, did he recognize Heero's distraught cries and he found his fledging vulnerable. Bleeding and bound in chains to a tree, the young vampire's skin was already burning, the sun's rays already hitting him in the open. Without a second thought he was rushing for him, his overcoat thrown over Heero's vulnerable form to shield him as best as he was able.

Ignoring his own pain, he pulled at the iron links with all his strength, breaking them with little resistance. With Heero gathered in his arms, he disappeared into the trees again, but knew he would be unable to make it home in time. He was soon digging as fast as he could, pulling him and his fledgling into the safety of the dark earth until it was safe to emerge.

With Heero pressed against him in their loose grave, Trowa let out a sob of relief, having been given the scare of his immortal life. His mind was thinking back to the child he left back at the manor and he wasn't sure if to feel rage, betrayal, or remorse. One thing was clear to him as he was drawn into his daytime slumber, Duo would have to be dealt with accordingly.

T.B.C.

Ooh! Duo did a no-no. He's in big trouble. . . ooh. Oi, let me shut up. So we have one more chapter in the flashback issue and then we find out what's going to happen to little Fei-Fei. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Heero will get some action with Trowa most likely in the next chapter, since Duo was the fortunate one once again. LOL! Okie dokie then, I'll see you all next time. Please leave your reviews, they give me hope and a drive to write. They also make me feel all giddy and loved. Until next time!

Oh yeah, I'm forgetting the translations.

(1) My little devil. . . and that he is indeed.

(2) My love


	13. Chapter 12: Lime Warning

Author's Note: This will be the last back to the flash. . . oh you know what I mean. . . chapter. Yay! After this we return to the present and we figure out what happens. Here's a hint. . . 13x2. (whistles innocently)

Warnings: All the same warnings as before and a bit of Duo torture. Okay, maybe alot but he kind of set himself up for it. Though it really wasn't his fault. Look at me, I'm babbling. There's a lime in here. . . or two or something like that. Alot of anger and fighting to deal with, too. No more pedophilia, hooray! Though heartbreak runs rampant. I can't do no sob inducing stuff, but I can make it sting just a little. Let me shut up, go read the chapter.

xoxoxox

Green eyes opened before instantly closing again, Trowa swearing as dirt scratched him under his eyelids. He had completely forgotten that he was underground. That had been the safest place since he and Heero had been caught out in the morning sun.

Heero.

The prone body in his arms was held onto tightly with one arm, and the banged vampire was soon clawing his way up loose earth with the next. When they broke free he was relieved. He did not like being buried in pure earth; it had caused him to feel a discomfort surpassing claustrophobia. He would be sure to avoid experiencing it again.

He looked down to his scarred fledgling, who was still sleeping though the sun was long gone. Heero wasn't an early riser to start with, but he wasn't a late riser either. His near-death scare had done more damage than Trowa had thought. Duo could have also tortured him beforehand. Though he didn't want to imagine his young one doing such a thing, it wasn't as farfetched as he hoped it would be.

He heard footsteps drawing closer and he stiffened, knowing that if he was found it wouldn't turn out well. Heero looked too much like a corpse at the moment and if it were a human that came across them, the poor sap would have to lose his life for being an unfortunate witness.

Then again, he could use this to his advantage. Heero would need to feed in order to start healing properly and the faster he began that, the sooner he'd get well again. Cradling the young fledging against two large roots of a tree, Trowa headed off in search of his prey. He could tell that it was more than one, which he found fortunate. His child would need all the blood he was able to get.

His eyes caught the glare of a lantern's light a few yards away and he let himself walk toward it. It wasn't long before he was pushing his way through some bushes, startling those that seemed to be returning home from a day of hunting. They stared wide-eyed at Trowa, who looked paler than death and the banged vampire stepped forward.

"Please." He began, making his voice seem helpless. "My friend is hurt. We need your help."

The two men eyed him warily, a bit unsure of the stranger in front of them. It wasn't every day that you came across someone else out here, and they looked to each other a bit unsure of what to do. The man did seem to have gone through quite a bit, the dirt that marred his face and clothing showing just that. Perhaps he and his friend had been attacked out here?

"Show us where." One said with a nod, the taller and eldest of the two.

Trowa gave him a smile of gratitude before he was leading them off. He hoped that Heero wasn't too weak that he was unable to feed himself. They closed in on the tree, the vampire carefully leading them over to the roots where Heero was still lying in a comatose state.

"Over here." He told them, pointing down.

With the lantern handed over to his young ward, the older man stepped forward, his hands resting idly on the pistol hanging in its holster. He was cautious and he made sure to pass Trowa by without getting too close; it was instinct to know when a predator was near.

The stranger grimaced as he looked down at the burned flesh of what seemed to be a boy. The hand that had been hanging freely by his side pulled a handkerchief free of his pocket, placing it over his mouth and nose before taking to crouching next to the prone figure. The other he risked pulling off of the gun it rested on to examine the body.

The younger man stood a few paces away, his eyes focused on the strange man that had brought them here. Green eyes were locked onto to him, staring at him with an intensity that raised goose bumps on his skin. There was a reason behind his staring; however, the young man could never guess what it was. He wouldn't have the time to. His gasp never left him and his world went dark before he realized that Trowa had moved.

The older man next to Heero finally pulled away, his eyes looking down at the boy with a shake of his head. The poor bloke hadn't made it. There was nothing they would be able to do for him now but take him home for a proper funeral and burial.

"I'm sorry, sir." He was apologizing, standing from his crouched position. "Unfortunately, your friend is dead."

He turned around only to scream as his young apprentice's limp body fell to the ground, the man who had claimed to need their help glaring back at him with sharp green eyes and bloodied teeth.

"Unfortunately, so is yours." Trowa spoke and then he was moving.

His teeth sank into the hunter's neck before he could even think of escaping, cutting the man's cry short. His hands fisted the short hair tightly, arching the neck so much that he heard it snap, but didn't let it stop him from drinking. Drink he did, until no matter how hard he pulled he received nothing.

He let the body fall from his hands, letting out a moan of anguish as his stomach seemed to disagree with him. He knew it was merely guilt for having deceived these two men, having them believe he was a victim and then betraying them. He couldn't allow himself to think on it, Heero depended on him.

Already the blood was coursing through his veins as his own and he moved to Heero, kneeling and lifting the blue-eyed vampire into his arms. Heero wasn't awake as of yet and it was worrying him. He would draw the young vampire from his sleep, since he seemed unable to do so on his own.

Quickly he bit into his wrist, pressing it against Heero's lips and waited. He whispered comfortingly to his fledging, trying his best to coax him into opening his eyes, but Heero laid still.

"Heero, get up." He begged, taking to forcing Heero's jaw open. "You must drink so that you will be well again."

Reopening the wound on his wrist, as it had already closed, he let his arm hover above the Nightwalker's open mouth. He was about ready to growl in frustration when cobalt eyes flew open and both of Heero's hands painfully gripped his arm. The elder merely winced as Heero's teeth bit into his flesh and he sighed in relief as he felt his child pulling.

Slowly, Heero began to pull faster and Trowa was aware that he was weakening and should stop him. However, he couldn't bring himself to; at least not yet. Green eyes watched as the burned flesh began to smooth and return to normal. Heero would need much more blood if he were to completely heal.

It was with great effort that he snatched his wrist away, the younger Nightwalker growling in objection as he did so. Trowa shushed him with a gentle kiss to his head, pulling Heero up from the ground so that they were standing. Heero looked down to the two dead humans that lay at their feet, before he was looking back to his Master.

"Master, I must have more." He told him, hands clutching desperately to Trowa's shirt. "My hunger, I can't control it."

"It's alright." Trowa soothed, taking Heero into his arms. "We shall sate your hunger."

Heero sagged in relief in his Master's arms and stiffened again as Trowa seemed to project a distinct feeling of rage and betrayal. He lifted his head to look up at the older vampire, nearly shrinking away at the sight of green eyes which had deepened into blood red, fangs peeking through parted lips as they had yet to be retracted. Trowa's hunger was apparently worse than his own.

"After we shall find your brother." Trowa was wording, turning Heero so as to lead him out of the forest. "I shall quell my anger."

It was then Heero knew that it wasn't Trowa's hunger to that made his Master unable to hide his vampiric form and he could only hope that Duo had been smart enough to go into hiding.

xoxoxox

Violet eyes opened as a feeling of foreboding overtook the braided vampire. He slowly sat up from where he lay resting on the couch, having hunted as soon as he woke right after sunset. He couldn't help but look to the open window and feel his stomach sink in fear. It was unwise to stay here if Trowa was up and about, most likely coming for the fledging that had wronged him.

He wasn't so sure if Heero had survived or not, but either way it was best that Duo left. Standing from the couch, he couldn't help himself as he walked to the window, shutting and locking it as if it was protection from the vengeful vampire that lay beyond it. Nothing would get in his Master's way now and no one would be able to stop him.

He spun on his heels, rushing for the door and out into the hall, where he bumped into the servant. He held the young girl by her shoulders, brown eyes staring up at him frightfully.

"Young Master Maxwell, is something the matter?"

He wished that he could tell her that he was in more danger than he'd ever been in his entire life. He had to settle with a shake of his head to ease her troubled mind.

"I'm fine, but I need a favor of you." He told her, the girl nodding slowly in understanding "When the Master comes, you will do your best to keep him here. Do you think you can manage that?"

"I can try." She told him truthfully, her curiosity getting the best of her. "You're off to the lodge again, aren't you? You know he doesn't like it when you go there."

The lodge? No, he wouldn't risk it. Trowa knew that as his favorite retreat and he wanted to avoid the vampire as best as he could. He would have to find somewhere new to escape to. He only hoped that he was able to find something at the last minute.

"Just keep him here." He ordered her, finally letting her go. "I must go."

He left after that, the girl watching him rush down the hall. She wasn't sure what was going on but it would seem that her young Master had been frightened by something. She could really do nothing about it; she was only a servant after all. She would do what she was asked and nothing more.

xoxoxox

Trowa pushed aside the lifeless body as if it were nothing more than a ragdoll, his eyes looking over the near empty hideaway that he and Heero had stumbled across. They had stalked the alleyways before this and Heero had had his fill, but Trowa seemed to now have an endless hunger. So they followed one man who had managed to escape them and reached a large room near the docks, hidden under a crumbling building. It was occupied with a band of thieves and as soon as the two vampires had entered unwelcomed, their lives had been threatened.

That was all Trowa needed and he went on a rampage, men dropping like flies as he killed them one by one. Heero watched on in the background, a bit concerned at his Master's behavior. Not to mention that he was scared stiff. Calm and controlled, that was how he knew his Master to be. Before him now was an unbridled beast, a demon of carnage and unmerciful wrath.

With Trowa snapping the neck of a thief that tried to cut him with a dagger, Heero knew it was best to step in. Trowa had just finished draining yet another victim, and he was stopped as he tried to go after another.

"Master, please, that's enough!" He begged, using all his strength to turn the vampire to him.

Trowa looked back to him with a snarl, chin and fangs dripping of blood, though thankfully his eyes were green once again. Fierce and deadly, but green. Heero was thankful for that much at least.

"Let me go!" Trowa demanded, pulling free to lurch for a cowering man.

Heero only jumped in front of him, using his own strength to push his Master back. He was successful and he told the man to run, which the thief did without hesitation. Trowa growled as he pushed Heero away violently, obviously upset that his prey had escaped. Heero ignored the pain as he collided with a wall, his cobalt eyes narrowing in on the older vampire. He knew the banged Nightwalker would go after the poor soul; he had to stop him.

Trowa was ready to rush off when he was tackled, his reflexes fast enough to throw his attacker away from him, their body crashing into a nearby table. He stopped in shock as he heard Heero cry out in pain, his anger waning for the moment. In no time he was by his child's side, his eyes looking him over for injury. He found it in the form of a broken table leg impaled through Heero's thigh.

"Heero. . . I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

The chocolate-haired vampire only shook his head, his hand reaching to pull free the crude stake with a pained yelp. He flung it aside, his eyes looking up to his Master, thankful that he was rational for the moment.

"It's alright, Master. You're angry. . . I understand." Heero began, lifting a hand to try and clean the blood from Trowa's face. "Killing them isn't necessary. I'm already healed and they're not the cause of your anger."

It was true; they weren't the reason for his anger. It wasn't like him to kill innocent people because he was in a foul mood. He would feel ashamed and guilty later, when his rage had truly left him. For now, he had to go home. The root of his fury was waiting there.

He gave Heero no warning before taking his fledging in his arms and leaving the massacre behind them. He had to be sure not to miss him, as he knew Duo would take to fleeing.

xoxoxox

The young servant girl was sitting in the den in front of the fire, her needlework in her lap, when the doors suddenly burst open. It caused her to shriek in alarm, her finger being pricked in her panic. Wide, brown eyes looked to where the Master of the house now stormed in, his fierce eyes glancing about the room before landing on her. She gasped as he stared, wanting to get up and run as her body seemed to be alerting her that it was dangerous here.

"Master Barton-"

"Where is he?" She was interrupted.

Though it wasn't yelled and said in a voice bordering on calm, it caused her to break out in a cold sweat at the sound of it. It would be best not to cross him, she had a feeling that her life depended on it.

"Duo isn't here, sir." She announced meekly, knowing full well that was who he was looking for. "He left about an hour before."

Trowa was turning on his heels and storming out of the door, pushing past Heero who she hadn't even noticed was there. Leaving her needle and thread behind, she quickly followed after her employer. She had promised Duo that she would keep him here, and though she would rather stay out of the man's way, she had to keep her word.

"My lord, please!" She called after him, running to catch up. "You musn't go!"

She couldn't help the scream as she suddenly found herself in his grasp, green eyes glaring down at her past his tousled bang. She was sure that he had been a good twenty feet ahead of her; it was a wonder how he had managed to close the distance between them so fast.

"Where did he go?" He questioned her, his voice still calm.

"I cannot say." She told him with a shake of her head.

She was screaming out as a heavy hand ripped across her face, and she dropped to the floor, her hand rising up to soothe her smarting cheek. Heero's objection to the abuse wasn't far behind, but it was ignored and she suffered another blow. This one brought her lip to bleed and she was now sobbing as she backed away from her once gentle Master.

"You tell me where is!" Trowa demanded, reaching for her again.

"Master, calm down!" Heero objected, reaching them in time to stop Trowa's hand.

Trowa only pushed him away and focused on the girl again, who was now sobbing as she cowered against the wall.

"Where is he!" He was bellowing again, the girl jumping at his raised voice.

"I cannot say!", she sobbed with a shake of her head.

Trowa was raising his hand again and she gave a horse scream, her hands lifting to protect her from the blow.

"He did not tell me!" She clarified, staying her Master's hand. "I cannot say because I do not know!"

Heero was by Trowa's side again, taking hold of his Master by the wrist just to be sure that he did not hit her again. Then he was looking to the girl, giving her an apologetic look before sending her on her way.

"Go now." Were his only words and it was all he needed to say.

She was scrambling up and rushing down the hall in an instant, Heero relaxing now that she was out of harm's way. He looked then to Trowa, whose body was tensed with pent up anger, jaw set in an unmistakable sign of the emotion. It was best that Heero try to calm him.

"Please, Master, come back to the den. Try not to think of him."

"How can I not?" Trowa asked him, snatching away from his youngest. "How can I not think of how he hurt you; how he hurt _me_?"

Heero jumped as Trowa took out some of his frustration on an unsuspecting side table, the wood breaking as it connected with the marble floor. With caution he approached his sire, wrapping his arms about him and hoping the older vampire would calm. Luckily he did; tight muscles relaxing under the embrace, though Trowa was still panting in anger.

Heero ignored it, raising his head to pull snarling lips into a kiss, surprised that Trowa calmed even further. The taller of the two pulled away, looking down at his fledging in some sort of apology, though anger still glinted in his eyes. One of Trowa's hands took to caressing Heero's wounded thigh, the younger vampire hissing as the wound was aggravated. He was given a kiss in apology; Trowa's tongue dipping inside his mouth in what he could only describe as a show of sudden want.

The kiss was broken by Heero's grunt of pain as Trowa's fingers prodded at the wound yet again.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you." His sire apologized, this time fingers gently caressing. "I'm sorry that I let him hurt you."

"No, Master, it wasn't your fault." Heero told him, taking to stroking Trowa's hair back to a decent state. "How could you have known?"

"How could I have _not _known?" The elder countered, pulling Heero closer and nuzzling brown locks. "Too often he had warned me that he would not hesitate to harm you. I should have never left you by yourself; I should have been there to protect you."

He pulled back to watch down at Heero's face, the back of his knuckles gently stroking the fledgling's cheek.

"What if I had lost you?"

Heero had no answer for him and Trowa sighed as he pulled away. He would have never been able to forgive himself if Duo had been successful. Nor would he have been able to face Dorothy. She had cautioned that Duo was a spiteful creature and she wasn't far from the truth.

"I must find him." Trowa murmured, his anger returning at the thought of his first. "He must pay for what he's done."

Heero only latched onto him again, drawing the banged Nightwalker into a kiss, one which Trowa easily gave into. As their lips parted, Heero stared into jade eyes, conveying a silent message of need with cobalt eyes. It wasn't his best plan, but if he was able to distract Trowa from going after Duo, then he would have done so successfully.

He knew what was in store for his brother and though he was angry for what was done to him, he couldn't bear the thought of the punishment the braided vampire was bound to receive. So he would keep Trowa here as long as he was able and the best way was to have him preoccupied with other things.

The blood had been singing through his veins for quite a while now and he had reached a state of arousal long before he had thought of seducing his Master. However, Trowa's rampage had put all thoughts of that on hold, but now was the perfect opportunity. He would take it before it disappeared again.

"Would you leave me unsatisfied, Master?" He questioned, revealing his impatience as he tore open Trowa's shirt.

With the pale and smooth skin of Trowa's chest revealed, Heero pressed closer, his hands caressing with the intention to give pleasure. He was hoping to persuade the older vampire to put off the hunt and to join him in bed for a while. His message wasn't ignored and he soon found himself pressed against the wall, his mouth ravaged as his own shirt was torn to shreds.

Trowa's slick tongue was easily welcomed into his mouth, Heero moaning as every corner of his mouth was stroked, his own tongue able to taste the remnant of the blood his Master had consumed earlier. It excited him further and his legs were lifting to wrap about Trowa's waist, his hands entangling in auburn locks to pull their mouths closer together.

He whimpered as Trowa pulled away, only to gasp as sharp teeth teased the skin of his neck, breaking the skin with the slightest of effort. Sharp nails clawed away the remainder of Trowa's shirt, before they were scratching the skin of his back, blood welling and steadily falling from the small wounds.

His sire was arching at the delicious pain, raising his eyes to lock with Heero's, now a sharp blue and cloudy with the unmistakable look of lust. With his feet lowered to the floor again, Heero clung tighter as Trowa's hands ripped away his belt, the fastening on his pants breaking as it was hastily opened.

He was moaning as Trowa's hands slipped into his pants, gently kneading his backside and pulling him closer. The young Nightwalker was panting heavily as Trowa began to grind against him, his hardness rubbing solidly into Heero's, the young vampire unable to hold back a moan.

It turned into a scream as a hand left his backside to grab hold of his member, gently stroking him to ease some of the ache. It didn't last too long and Heero whined in objection, Trowa merely chuckling as he pulled both his hands free. Before his fledgling could question, he was turning Heero to face the wall, positioning him so that Heero was leaning forward at the waist.

With his chest pressed against the wall, Heero could only look back at his Master in question, the older vampire giving him a smile.

"Turn away, Heero." He was ordered and he immediately obeyed.

He gasped as his pants were hastily pulled down, Trowa leaning in to press a kiss to Heero's shoulder. It wasn't the only thing he pressed against his child and Heero pushed back at the feel of his Master's erect member against his buttocks. That in turn caused Trowa to thrust against him, the two of them groaning at the wonderful contact. Kisses were laid across Heero's shoulders, to his neck and finally to his ear.

"Shall I have you now?" Trowa asked him, pulling on Heero's hips to draw him even closer.

"Yes." He panted in response, eagerly pushing back. "Have me, take me . . . I am yours."

Trowa needed no other invitation and the two were crying out together soon enough, Heero pushing back onto his Master. He was the first to begin moving, pulling away to then push back again, a small moan escaping his lips. It wasn't long before Trowa was joining him, pressing into Heero's body with fervor to match his anger from earlier this evening.

The young Nightwalker didn't seem to care in the slightest as he only begged for more, his head thrown back as he screamed in his pleasure, hips moving to meet every hard thrust. Their sounds of passion echoed down the empty hallway, both vampires glad that the servant's room was on the other end of the house.

They only grew louder and more passionate as time passed. It wasn't long before Heero was crying out in release, his scream muffled as Trowa's wrist was offered to him, which he willingly accepted. Trowa followed, drawing blood from Heero's shoulder, their movements stilling as their bodies came down from their bliss.

Breath panting as they pressed against each other, Trowa wrapped his arms possessively about his fledgling, kissing the young one on the nape of his neck before nuzzling it. To think he had almost lost this one. He pushed the thought from his mind as he held Heero tighter, reluctant to pull out of him just yet. He wanted to enjoy being this close for just a while longer.

He hadn't been this close to him as much as he would have liked to be. He was mostly intimate with Duo. The braided vampire flittered through his mind and he sighed as he realized Heero had initiated their coupling so as to distract him. Even with what Duo had done to him, he wanted to make sure Trowa didn't go after the older fledging.

"He deserves punishment." He was murmuring, taking to kissing Heero's shoulders again.

"Not when you're thinking nothing but murder." Heero gently argued, shivering as Trowa scraped his teeth over a sensitive part of his neck.

He tried not to complain as they finally pulled apart, his Master turning Heero to face him and fixing what remained of their clothing. Heero waited patiently, knowing the banged Nightwalker was bound to say something.

"You are so quick to forgive him?" Trowa was asking him.

"I'm not sure." The younger one admitted. "Though I know I don't want you to hurt him. I know you'll regret it later."

"Hmph. What do you know?" His sire asked, pulling Heero into his arms.

"I know that you love him and even though you're angry, you would normally never want to hurt him. So, I won't let you."

Trowa fell silent at that, not exactly sure how to respond. He settled for not responding at all, knowing that Heero was merely looking out for both him and Duo. He was proud of his fledging.

"Shall we go to bed?" Trowa asked, leading them down the hall.

"It's nowhere near sunrise." Heero stated, a frown marring his face.

Trowa smirked, pulling in close to whisper in his child's ear.

"Who said I had any intention of sleeping?"

xoxoxox

Heero had bathed and left the house a few hours before dawn, telling Trowa that he was off to hunt again. His Master wasn't pleased but didn't try to stop him. In fact, he even offered to join him. Heero, however, declined and convinced him to stay behind. The taller vampire did in fact have to find a way to apologize and gain their servant's trust again. The poor girl must have been scared out of her mind.

Trowa agreed and Heero went on his way. His first stop was a well-known lodge, where the men thought of nothing but wine and women, as well as the occasional pretty male. He ignored the drunken stares as he passed through it, heading to the bar where a large man stood glaring back at him, busy with cleaning mugs.

"I'm looking for someone." Heero spoke as soon as he was close enough. "You can mistake him for a woman if he wishes it."

The bartender laughed, the sound a low and amused chuckle and Heero's eyes narrowed. He was being serious and he didn't enjoy being laughed at.

"You want to try your hand at him?" The man asked him, hawking and spitting in a nearby spittoon. "You'll have to try another night; Duo didn't show. Though I doubt he'll even glance in your direction, he likes him a man, not some pretty boy."

Heero resisted the urge to growl at the man's sleazy smile. It was obvious that even in his vampiric days, Duo was promiscuous. The brown-haired Nightwalker could only hope that the pig in front of him hadn't been a bed partner for the braided vamp. He caught movement beside him, but he didn't turn to look at who approached him, he merely waited.

"Duo didn't come tonight, but perhaps you can take his place." A man told him with a rasping laugh, his hand roughly grabbing onto Heero's posterior. "How about it, lad? I wouldn't mind having that tight arse of yours."

The man's laughter turned to a pained scream as his arm was caught and twisted, the bone breaking loud enough to quiet the noise in the lodge. All eyes were on the strange young man who now had a man on his knees, begging to be let go as his arm was turned in an angle it should never have been able to bend.

The entire crowd backed away as cold cobalt eyes looked over them, scanning through the pack of men as if searching. When he found nothing, he finally let the man go and turned for the door, men moving out of the way as he came toward them. He stopped at the door, the patrons waiting cautiously for his next move.

"Is there anyone who knows where I can find him?" He asked them, never turning back to face the crowd.

"Last I saw him, he was heading for the cemetery." Someone nervously answered. "Don't know what business he could have out there."

Heero nodded his thanks and was gone, the men breathing a collective sigh of relief. If they were lucky, they'd never come across that young man again and even if they did, they knew to steer clear of him.

xoxoxox

Duo was lying on his back amongst crumbling tombstones, his violet eyes looking up at the moon peeking out from a handful of clouds. He had been brooding here most of the night, having fed beforehand and not wanting to risk being in the town too long. Trowa was probably out searching for him in every tavern Duo had ever stepped foot in. It was best that he had come here. His Master would never think that Duo would hide here. He knew how much Duo disliked cemeteries, it was too empty and he would rather avoid being alone.

He sighed as he continued to gaze up at the night sky, one of his hands idly playing with the over grown grass that surrounded him. He had been debating going home to face the consequences for his actions, but he had quickly thought against it. He had seen an anger in his Master that he had never witnessed before and it scared him. He was sure if given the chance, Trowa would probably kill him, taking his immortality much more easily than he had given it.

He was aware that he was no longer alone, though he heard no one approaching, knowing that it was most likely another vampire. He knew of only two others beside himself that lived in London and had it been Trowa, he would have sensed it. He sat up from his sprawled position, his eyes focusing on the shadows and landing on the one person he did not want to see.

"Weren't you warned to stay away from me?" He questioned, his tone sour. "Don't you know that I hold no favor for you?"

Heero stepped out of the shadows, his eyes calmly watching the Nightwalker that glared up at him in distaste. He wasn't sure why he had decided to come looking for Duo after the vampire had nearly taken his life. He was angry but he didn't want revenge. In fact, he came to try and help Duo get back in favor with their Master. He did not like this new side of their sire and it was Duo that had caused it to be revealed. He would take the chance and give Duo his assistance in restoring what once was.

"I know you despise me." Heero spoke, standing still for the moment. "Yet I came anyway."

"Why!" Duo snarled, his eyes burning angrily. "Did you come to torment me? To tell me how my Master has shunned me, how now he rather you by his side!"

"To tell you that he still loves you and you're stupid if you leave without trying."

Heero did nothing as his face turned, a hand harshly ripping across it and shooting pain throughout his face. He had endured Duo's attacks before, now would not be any different.

"How dare you call me stupid!" Duo growled, circling the younger vampire as a predator does its prey. "I believe you to be the stupid one. So willingly the deer enters the lion's den? Do you not realize that I can kill you here? You do not have Trowa here to protect you."

Heero only watched him as he rounded him, calmly keeping his ground and sure not to move. The slightest movement would provoke the braided vampire to attack him and he wanted to avoid that.

"If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so already." He worded, Duo stopping in his tracks. "You're only intimidating me because you know if you lay a hand to harm me this would be the last full moon you see."

He had forgotten that his mouth could start an attack as much as movement would and he wasn't surprised when Duo did just that, tackling Heero to the ground and sending another blow to his face. The blue-eyed Nightwalker did nothing though, only laid there and waited for another hit. It didn't come and he turned to look up at his older sibling, violet eyes staring down at him a bit perplexed.

"Fight me!" The braided creature demanded.

Heero ignored him, lying limply on the ground and refusing to do otherwise. He wasn't here to fight with Duo and he wouldn't be drawn to do so. Cobalt eyes continued to only stare up at the vampire above him, refusing to do anything other than that. Duo was panting with pent up frustration and he wanted nothing more than to release it, but he wanted a reason. As it was, Heero was being stubborn. He wouldn't strike back and Duo had wanted to make it seem fair.

His fist connected with Heero's jaw forcefully, the dark-haired vampire grunting in pain and Duo smiled. It faded as Heero still did nothing, his head turning back so that he could stoically stare at the older of the two. His head was soon turning in the other direction when Duo threw another punch and he bit back a whimper of pain as Duo threw another to his stomach.

Now he was winded as well as in pain, but he kept to being passive. Things _would _go his way. If he had to suffer a few bruises to do so, then so be it. His gasp was cut short as a strong hand encircled his throat and began to squeeze tightly, violet eyes glaring down at him with a menacing gleam.

He wouldn't suffocate, but it would be endless torture as his lungs began to burn with the lack of air. His face pinched in pain, though he tried to fight it and Duo was soon chuckling sadistically at his suffering.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" The braided Nightwalker questioned, his hand clenching tighter.

Heero's mouth unwillingly opened in an attempt to breathe and Duo's laugh grew louder and much crueler. This little youngling had been stupid to think that Duo would give in. Refusing to fight him meant an easy victory. Heero's hands were soon reaching up to grasp him by the wrist, but it wasn't to try and pull his hand away, it merely rested there.

Duo's free hand slapped it away and he pulled Heero up so that their faces were closer, sharp eyes studying the pale face pinched in obvious discomfort.

"This pain I give you now." Duo slowly began, his free hand mockingly stroking Heero's cheek. "It is barely a tendril of how I feel knowing that _my _Master would replace me with _you_."

Blue eyes widened and watered in pain as Duo's hand grabbed hold of chocolate locks and pulled, his other hand still choking the young one's pale neck.

"Why?" Duo was asking through clenched teeth, his face frowning in growing anger. "Am I not enough for him? Have I not kept the look of youth that he lusted after? Am I not willing to offer him my body when he reaches for it or my heart when he calls for it? Have I displeased him in some way for him to want you instead?"

By now Heero's lungs were beyond burning and his eyes were tearing in his pain, a few drops falling loose and trailing down white cheeks. Duo saw them and he released his grip on Heero's throat to let his finger catch them. The younger vampire coughed as his lungs began to breathe again, thankful that Duo had finally let go.

"He loves us both." He was breathlessly speaking, Duo pausing to stare back at him. "I would say he loves you more."

There was a brief silence, mostly from Duo since Heero continued to gasp and cough, trying his best to calm his lungs. When he had finally settled to heavy breathing, he let his eyes connect with Duo's, who was looking off in the distance.

"La mia piccola morte." Heero whispered, Duo's eyes snapping back to his dangerously. "I have heard him sigh it when he thinks I cannot hear. When you are gone on your tantrums and leave him behind. You are his more than I can ever hope to be. Have you realized that I have no secret name he whispers to me? I am only Heero and you. . ."

His voice trailed off as he was now upset with himself. He had never worded his own observations before and to actually hear it, it hurt him. He did not doubt that Trowa loved him, he was told that enough to know it was true, but the love that he and Duo shared was one Heero would never truly experience with their Master.

The two were closer and he had suspected would remain so even with his presence there. Though they were at odd ends now, Heero knew what they felt for each other. He was jealous and felt he had reason to be. Duo had no reason at all.

"You will be his even if you are gone." Heero murmured.

Duo stared down at the vampire in his clutch, studying the sudden solemn look on the pale face. Heero's words were hard to ignore, as they sounded as if the younger Nightwalker was in pain. Then again, he had just admitted envy and suspicion that their Master loved him less.

There was truth to Heero's words, but the braided vampire would not so quickly admit to it. Though it did calm his anger, he was not fully released from it, but his jealousy had waned somewhat. He took to stroking Heero's cheek again with the back of his knuckles, a bit sympathetic to him. Who knew how the younger vampire was feeling at the moment?

"He would love me still, even after what I've nearly done?" Duo was whispering.

"He will love you still." Heero assured him, his hands raising to clutch gently at Duo's arms. "_I _love you still."

Duo pulled back in wide-eyed shock, before his face was marred with a scowl, his eyes glaring back at Heero.

"You lie!" He hissed. "You've never loved me and why should you!"

"I would love you more if you weren't so damn cruel in your ways toward me." Heero calmly answered him. "You and I are brethren of sorts; we share the same sire. Why shouldn't I love you? You are beautiful."

"Admiring the beauty of my face is not love, Heero." Duo educated him. "You should not be so quick to claim such a thing."

Heero shifted closer to the chestnut-locked creature, careful not to reach out and touch him though that's what he wanted to do. Duo looked back at him a bit in warning, wary as to what Heero attempted to do.

"Your face is not the only beautiful thing about you." Heero began to explain. "Your strength, the fire you possess in your soul, your grace, even the way you can be so black hearted. . . it's beautiful to me. I hate the way you can make me want you, even though you treat me as a plague."

Though he feared Duo wouldn't hesitate to hurt him, Heero risked reaching a hand for him, grasping Duo under the chin. He turned the heart-shaped face to study it, a bit surprised that Duo did nothing to stop him. He only stared back at him in shock. Violet-eyes shimmered in the moonlight, filled with confusion and Heero smiled, his thumb idly brushing over pink lips.

"Shinigami no utsukushii kao."(1) He was murmuring with another smile, pulling himself closer.

Duo jerked back as Heero's face moved closer to his, but the vampire tightened his grip on his face. If it wasn't for Duo's complete state of befuddlement, he would have fought harder, but he didn't. So he wasn't able to avoid as Heero's lips pressed against his, the hand holding his chin moving to hold him by the nape of his neck to still him from pulling away.

"Ah!"

His cry of pain was due to the death grip that Heero soon held on his hair, fingers curled tightly in the silky locks. It gave the younger vampire a chance to forcefully push his tongue past Duo's lips, stroking the cavern of Duo's mouth. Said Nightwalker was still unable to move, his brain still trying to understand what was going on.

His body seemed to know as his mouth easily accepted the intruder, his tongue pushing back in fervor. He fought his way to dominance, Heero's mouth tasting faintly of the blood he had taken earlier. His own tongue was sliding carefully along sharp teeth. The younger vampire was soon sucking greedily on his bleeding tongue, his other hand grabbing Duo by the shoulder to pull him even closer.

Mouth still latched to the fledgling's, Duo took hold of both Heero's hands, pushing against the younger one's body. Heero was obedient, as he was expected to be, and he let himself be laid back. His hands were pressed into the ground, held above his head and he let them be put there.

A small sound of surprise escaped his throat, but was muffled by the lips pressed against his as Duo's teeth pierced his bottom lip. The braided vampire only chuckled, suckling the young vampire's lip and biting again when it healed far too quickly for his liking. When he grew tired of that, his tongue was plunging into a mouth he found was all too delicious and he was beginning to understand why Trowa would want to kiss Heero.

He was still upset with his Master and he would rather continue with his efforts to rid them of the newest addition to their little family, but at the moment he rather enjoyed that he was there. One hand held Heero by the wrists and the other fisted those full locks again, pulling away to smile down as he arched Heero's neck back.

Heero squirmed as the talented mouth that had just been locked with his plunged to his neck, suckling on the sensitive and bruised skin above his pulse. He was gasping as fangs scraped teasingly against him and he willingly offered more of his neck, strangely wanting to feel those teeth bite into him.

"Even after all I've done?" Duo was asking, nuzzling the flesh as well as smelling the blood that lay beneath it.

"Just bite me, damn it!" Heero snapped, and Duo chuckled before doing just that. "Ah!"

Heero was arching up into the solid body above him as he cried, his eyes falling shut in a pleasure he couldn't describe as Duo drank from him. His hands clenched tightly into fist, his sharp nails cutting into his palms so that they bled. The hand buried in his hair moved down to slip under his shirt, fingers trailing teasingly before a thumb was brushing over a peaking nipple.

Duo pulled his mouth away from Heero's neck as the younger fledgling arched into his touch, so he could listen well to the lovely little sounds that were falling from swollen lips. He laughed as he pinched the nub and Heero was gasping, cobalt eyes staring up at him.

"Was this why you came in search of me?" He asked, their noses brushing before their lips pressed together.

With Heero's hands freed so that Duo's other hand could join its brother, the blue-eyed vampire took the chance to wrap his arms about Duo's shoulder. They parted again, Duo looking down to study the face beneath his. Though he was still pale, Heero was flushed and his cheeks tinted further as Duo's fingers relentlessly toyed with his chest.

"Duo. . ." He was gasping, the older of them patiently waiting. "Hn. . . have me. Hate me no longer. . . take me; love me."

Duo couldn't help the laugh that fell from him at the words and he pulled his hands away from Heero, much to the vampire's dismay. Duo was pulling away from him but Heero held him tighter, unwilling to have him do so. Frowning down at the panting Nightwalker, Duo pulled free from him. Heero didn't follow, he instead kept to lying on the ground, obviously confused.

"_This_. . . is not for us.", Duo was soon explaining, turning to look ahead at nothing in particular, "I fear I make a mistake if I were to so willingly give in to your request. My heart hasn't thawed for you yet. I would still wish you harm when the heat of our passion had cooled."

He turned to look at Heero again, who was sitting up as well with a frown on his face as he stared back at the braided Nightwalker.

"In fact, I would gladly do so now."

Their privacy was broken by the sound of a twig snapping and the two turned to where it had come from. There were two different reactions as they were interrupted. Heero calmly acknowledged the new comer, though his eyes revealed his unease. Duo quickly stood from his place on the ground and backed away cautiously, wide eyes staring at the one person he had been trying to avoid.

Trowa slowly crept forward from the shadows, his green eyes flashing in the moonlight as he calmly looked back and forth between his two vampiric children. He had followed Heero's trail after unsuccessfully attempting to apologize to their servant girl and his travels had led him here.

He had silently searched the cemetery and had stopped in his tracks at the sight of the two vampires side by side. Heero lying on the ground with Duo sitting beside him, speaking to him of passion they would not share. It was the last of Duo's speech that had him revealing himself, as he would not allow Heero to play victim to Duo's torture once again.

Green eyes quickly glanced over his youngest, catching sight of the bruises on his face and neck, obviously put there by his first. Duo shuffled away as Trowa's gaze turned to him, his body tensing as he expected some sort of attack from the older vampire. He had been dreading this moment since he had laid down to sleep this morning and he felt worse now that his Master had found him. What was to happen to him now?

Trowa stepped forward, which caused Duo to back away even more, but his speed had Duo unable to run. In an instant Trowa had a death grip around his upper arm, jade eyes burning down as terrified violet stared up at him. Heero was moving behind them, but the younger fledging was ignored.

Duo was trembling by now, unnerved by Trowa's silence and close to panicking as it dragged on. He tried to pull his arm free, but Trowa's grip only tightened, Duo whimpering at the pain.

"Master. . ." Duo's voice was small and trembling.

Heero watched on in the background, wanting to interrupt but knowing that he was meant not to interfere. Trowa would turn his anger on _him _if he was to do so.

"Over four hundred years, I have endured you." The unusual calm in Trowa's voice, sent a shiver down both Duo and Heero's spines. "Every childish tantrum, every scornful curse, every selfish demand. I bowed to you when you wished to be satisfied, I begged for you when you commanded it and I killed for you if it meant to see you happy. Not once did you thank me and not once did I ask you to."

Duo said nothing, only continued to stare up at his sire, not daring to look away. Heero was frozen behind them, not knowing what to expect and hoping that Trowa would show mercy. He hadn't forgiven Duo himself for his actions, but he wouldn't be able to stand and watch the vampire suffer their Master's wrath.

"You were the first that was born from me and the first that I offered my own blood to. You were the first I had fallen in love with, the first that I would die for without question or thought. Though you scorned me in the beginning, I loved you when I first sighted you and continued to do so even when you pushed me away.

"I treated you as if you were a god and you would do this to me? Heero was a gift to me, a second child that I have come to love as well. After four hundred years of having me to yourself, you cannot let me go so that I can nurture another? Did I not allow you others? Did I not turn my back when you left time after time to have someone else by your side!"

Trowa's voice had raised and Duo tried his best to shrink away, but the hand on his arm tightened further, pulling him back so that his sire was only inches away from him.

"You selfish little heathen!" Trowa hissed, Duo whimpering. "Is it only you that deserves the comforts of having another? Am I not allowed to love more than one! My eyes were too jaded then to see that your beauty had its limits, that there's an ugliness in you that feeds on your jealousy and scorn."

"Master-"

"I was unwilling to realize that you were as flawed as myself!" Trowa interrupted him, cutting Duo's plea short. "I should have known your heart was wicked, should have guessed you were capable of wrong, but I would have never thought to take you on your word."

Duo was yelping as he was jerked forward, made to look in Heero's direction, violet eyes close to tears. Heero looked away, unable to bear looking into those eyes for long and already knowing what was bound to happen to Duo before it even happened.

"Look at him!" Trowa demanded of his oldest. "What had he done to deserve your wrath? How could you punish him when he has done nothing wrong!" Duo was turned to face him again, Trowa aware of the tears now falling down the vampire's face, unfazed in his anger. "How dare you try take the life that you yourself did not gift him? How dare you betray me!"

Duo only shook his head, speechless. He wasn't sure what he could say and he was too afraid to beg for forgiveness. He had the feeling Trowa wouldn't grant it.

"How can I forgive you?" Trowa was asking him, as if reading his thoughts.

He finally let Duo go, the vampire falling to his knees, head bowed in shame. His shoulders began to shake with silent sobs and Duo finally looked up, ready to ask for forgiveness. He reached for Trowa's hand, but his sire pulled away, Duo unsure of what to do next. He tried to reach again but Trowa only pulled away again, this time taking a step back to distance himself.

"Do not touch me."

At the words Duo was sobbing again, falling forward on his hands in a helpless show of submission. He had been ready for yelling, he had had been prepared for violence, but not for this. This hurt more than if Trowa had hit him, this sounded louder than any scream that could have come from his Master's throat.

"Master, please." He begged shamelessly, tear-drenched face looking up at the banged Nightwalker.

Trowa watched down at his broken fledgling in indifference, turning away from him and making his way to Heero. Cobalt eyes stared back at him in disbelief, but he ignored him as well, reaching a hand out to run over the bruised face. He didn't even turn to look at Duo as he delivered his punishment.

"As far as I'm concerned, I have only one child."

Heero's gasp of disbelief went by unheard due to Duo's cry of dismay. Blue eyes watched as Duo was soon clinging to his Master, Trowa further ignoring him as Duo begged.

"No, Master, forgive me!" Duo was bawling, his hands clinging to Trowa's clothes in desperation. "It won't happen again. Please don't turn away from me! Don't send me away!"

"Let go of me!"

Duo could do nothing as he was pushed away; looking down at the ground so as to avoid the disdainful glare from eyes that once looked at him with affection. Heero could do nothing but watch as Trowa shunned his fledgling. Trowa turned away from the broken mess; his disowned child, unwilling to stay in his presence any longer.

"I will give you one more night in London." He told him as he began to walk away. "If I'm to find you here after that, there will be no second chance for you; there will be no hesitation on my part."

He was on his way after that, Heero left behind to watch down at the vampire, wanting to stay and comfort him but knowing he was expected to follow. He took a tentative step toward the heavily sobbing Nightwalker, helplessly sprawled on the ground, but was soon freezing at the sound of his master's voice.

"Heero."

The call of his name was enough to have him moving and with one last look back to Duo, he and his Master were gone. The cemetery was left empty, save the broken soul that was left crying amongst the dead.

xoxoxox

With the last of the dirt patted down firmly over the new grave, the crypt keeper stopped to look at his work. Today's funeral had gone on longer than he was used to but none the less, he was now finished. He looked up at the dusk sky, the sun long gone but the sky hadn't gone completely dark yet. With his shovel in hand he headed for his house near the gates.

He was glad to be finally returning home. Last night he had been drawn from his sleep by what seemed to be voices and he had headed out into the cemetery, expecting good for nothing trouble makers. However, he found nothing and had wondered if there were ghosts. This was a cemetery after all.

Before he could start his way back to his bed, muffled sobbing caught his ears and further inspection of the grounds saw him moving toward some crumbling tombstones. There he found a young lad curled on the ground, face buried in his arms as his body shook with sobs. The poor boy was a mess and he couldn't quite figure why he was out here.

Perhaps his kin was buried here and he was mourning? Whatever it was, he couldn't leave him here and he opted to offering the lad help. It was refused at first, but with a bit of coaxing, he soon had the boy lying comfortably in his bed. His sobbing had quieted to sniffles but he still wouldn't talk. Nor would he take any of the food and drink the crypt keeper offered.

It was only near dawn did the young man speak to him, asking for a different place to sleep, preferably where sunlight wouldn't reach him. It was an odd request but the crypt keeper led him to the cellar and set up a cot for him. It wasn't long before the boy was sleeping and the man left him to go do so himself.

Now he wondered if the strange boy would be willing to talk to him. He entered his house after resting the shovel down just outside the door. With his hands full of food and drink, he slowly started his climb down the cellar steps, thankful he had left a lantern lit down there.

The young man was awake, sitting up on the bed, his eyes unfocused as he stared at nothing in particular. The crypt keeper cleared his throat to gain his attention, but it didn't work. With a sigh he walked closer, holding out a plate of bread and cheese, which was ignored as well. He didn't bother offering the ale in his other hand, but took to drinking it himself. The plate he rested on the bed, figuring it would be eaten once the boy got hungry.

He sat himself down on a small barrel, brown eyes staring at the stranger that had yet to move. With another drink from his mug, he figured it was about time to start asking questions.

"Don't you think it was bit late to be visitin' a grave, son?" The man asked, the boy barely moving. "Day's a right time for that sort of thing."

His efforts were rewarded as violet eyes slowly turned to look at him and he offered the boy a smile.

"How's about you tell me your name, lad?" He questioned, using his mug to point at himself. "Me name's Jared. What do they call ya?"

He received no answer, but was continued to be stared at, which made him feel a tad uncomfortable. This bloke would need some getting used to, though he doubted he'd welcome him here that long. He ran a cemetery, not an inn.

"How's about a drink?" Jared offered, standing from his seat. "I just drank the last of me ale, but we can head out to a place. It's a bit out of the way, but the best there is. What do you say, lad? Care to join me? It seems as if you could use a drink or two."

He waited patiently under the uncomfortable stare and was relieved when the young man turned away, climbing out of the bed.

"That's it, lad." The man encouraged him, taking the lead. "A few shots a whiskey will put you straight; my treat."

xoxoxox

Duo sat at a table far in the back of the pub he had been brought to, his hand cradling a full cup of whiskey. Jared was near the bar with a group of men, singing loudly and drunkenly, not to mention off-key. The vampire had been sitting here for quite a while, figuring it best he hunt, but not in the mood to.

His mind was still grasping on to the fact that he had been banished and that he had to leave London before sunrise. If Trowa found him here after that, it would mean his life. His throat clenched at the thought of his Master, and he willed away the new tears that had formed in his eyes. It wouldn't do well to start crying in front of this particular crowd. Outside of town the people weren't keen on things such as men crying. Crying was a woman's thing in these parts. That also meant Duo had to keep his particular liking to himself.

The sounds of footsteps coming forward pulled him to look up and he watched as a man pulled up closer to his table, a merchant living well off his trade if his clothes were anything to go by. He carried himself as if he were nobility, back straight and shoulders squared, his chin held in pride. He was a handsome man; clean cut face with strong chin and brow, those which forked elegantly.

Blue eyes smiled down at him and Duo couldn't even attempt to smile back. Had it been any other day, he would have easily fallen into the habit of flirting. As it was, he had just recently been thrown from his home; he had nothing to smile about.

The gentleman took it upon himself to sit in the empty chair without invitation, his eyes never leaving the young man in front of him. He recognized the untouched drink and had to wonder why the boy wasn't drinking it. He seemed solemn enough to want to drown out his sorrows.

"Pardon my intrusion." His voice was smooth and caught Duo's attention. "But might I inquire as to why you haven't touched your drink? Is whiskey not to your taste?"

A small smile was managed and Duo offered it to the gentleman, lifting the cup to inspect the liquor inside.

"No, it's not to my taste at all." He answered, resting the cup down again. "I don't much care for whiskey."

"Well then, what would you rather have? I'd be happy to buy it for you. My name is Treize."

Duo knew damn well what he rather have but kept that to himself. He only offered the man another smile, pushing the cup of whiskey aside.

"There's nothing in this place that I wish to drink. And my name is Duo."

"So, Duo, if it's not for a drink, then why are you here?" The stranger was asking him.

"I cannot return home." Duo answered, not sure why he was telling him this.

"Ah, I see. Nowhere else to go. Did you wrong your father for him to throw you out?"

Duo's throat tightened at the words, his mind remembering how Trowa had pulled away from him. He blinked away tears as he looked to the gentleman.

"In the worst possible way." He finally told him.

The man watched as Duo took to looking down at the table top and he studied the boy with an interested eye. There was something about this young man that was appealing, something that put him apart from the rest of the men and few women in this pub. As the boy gave off a shuddering sigh, he reached out to take hold of his hand, frowning as he did so.

He was as cold as a corpse. His eyes lighted in excitement as he realized that this young man wasn't alive; he wasn't exactly dead either. Duo looked up as his hand was taken, staring back at the stranger with questioning eyes. With the touch Duo had realized that this mortal was more than he seemed. There was something lurking deep inside of those eyes and he pulled his hand away a bit unsure.

"Do I frighten you?" Treize asked him, though his mouth barely moved.

He shifted his chair closer to Duo's, the vampire calmly keeping still, though he was thinking on moving away.

"What do I call you, Duo?" Treize was soon whispering in his ear. "What creature are you?"

Duo stiffened as the man began to nuzzle his ear, a bit alarmed about being in such a public setting, especially in this out back town. Then again, they were in the back of the place and everyone seemed too drunk to notice anyone who was sober.

"Vampire." Was the single word given.

"Such a beautiful creature." Treize was chuckling, his nuzzling having traveled to Duo's neck. "Have you a master?"

As he was pushed away, Treize silently swore, but took hold of Duo's hand to bring it to his lips. His kissed the knuckles apologetically, his blue eyes watching up at the pained expression of the vampire's face.

"Forgive me, I did not realize it was _he_ you referred to as your father." Treize apologized, pulling closer to Duo once again.

He wasn't sure but he was smelling blood and it seemed to be coming from the chestnut beauty beside him. Not to mention he could read a hunger in Duo that seem to strengthen whenever someone stumbled by. He would have asked a question, if Duo hadn't chosen that moment to stand.

"Excuse me for a moment."

He watched Duo walk to the bar and speak to the man he had come with. Treize had been watching him for a while before he had approached him. It wasn't long before he and his friend were heading outside and Treize couldn't help but follow. His tracking found him peeking behind the pub, a smile taking his face as he took in the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

This vampire had the human in an inescapable hold, the man struggling against him as Duo's mouth was latched onto his throat. It wasn't hard to figure out just what the young man was doing and Treize licked his lips as he watched on. It would seem that he no longer had need for this mortal body. . . he had found a new host.

xoxoxox

Trowa stood gazing out of a window, his arms crossed in a patient manner as he silently waited. He had not seen Heero since he had risen and he knew that the boy hadn't gone hunting as he said. There were only two things the young vampire could truly be doing and since he had been forbidden to go looking for Duo, it had to be the other option.

"I didn't think you would do something so stupid."

He had been waiting for her and now that she had arrived, he turned to face her. He was greeted with a slap, hard enough to turn his face and leave an unbearable sting in his cheek.

"Stupid vampire!" Dorothy spat at him, her hand hitting him again. "You shame me with your behavior!"

She hit him a third time, Trowa stopping her before she could make it a forth, his green eyes glaring down at her.

"Any decision for my children is my own to make." He told her, pushing her away. "You would have done worse had you been in my place."

"And what wrong could he have possibly done for you to send him away!" She was screaming, fighting the urge to hit him again.

"He left Heero for the dawn to meet him; with no chance of escaping to somewhere he'd be safe."

Her gasp of surprise was the only thing to leave her mouth and Trowa turned away to stare out of the window again. He wasn't surprised that Heero had gone to get her. It was most likely his attempt to get Trowa to change his mind.

"You lie!" Dorothy was in denial, but deep down she knew that it was true.

"Why would I make such a lie?" Trowa asked her, staring at her reflection in the glass. "You knew how much Duo despised Heero. He finally went too far and did something I could never forgive. Heero would be dead had I not reached him in time."

Dorothy had taken to seating herself on a couch, her head shaking in disbelief. Duo could never have done such a thing; not her little devil. And yet, he _was _capable of something that cruel. She looked up to Trowa, who still had his back turned to her and she felt her heart sink as she realized just how serious things were. Trowa had been wronged and Duo would pay the price, even if he would not be the only one suffering.

"So this is what you decide?" She questioned him, wishing that it wasn't so.

"I can never allow Duo back." Trowa told her.

No matter how much it hurt to have him gone.

xoxoxox

From his new eyes, Delinos looked about, aware that his vision was much more accurate than the mortal eyes he had had before. His hearing and sense of smell was greater too, and he wrinkled his nose as the smell of sex seemed far worse now. He groaned in disgust as he realized that Treize was still on top of his body and he pushed the now dead man away, before he was standing from the bed.

He looked down at his new form, a smile taking his lips as he appreciated it. This had to be the best one yet and he had to make sure that he kept it. He felt stronger with this new host, in fact, he _was _stronger and it would continue on that way.

He gathered up the clothes that Duo had been wearing and quickly slipped them on. He wanted to test out this new body and he was aware of a thirst for blood that nearly matched his own. At this rate he'd be strong enough to break free in no time. This time around, the world would be as good as his.

T.B.C.

(1) Shinigami no utsukushii kao; it means beautiful face of death(god of). Someone told me how to say it. Thanks shevaleon!

Yes the end was rushed, but I'm eager to get back to the present. Aren't you? Well tell me what you thought of this really long chapter. I'm all nervous as to what people will think. I'll be waiting for your reviews. Until next time.


	14. Chapter 13: Lime Warning

Disclaimer: I forgot to add one, so here it is now. I do not own Gundam Wing, just the plot line of this fic and a few original characters.

Author's Note: Yes I know. I haven't updated in months, but it's not my fault. Really, it isn't! I moved out of state and then I moved back. And during the two months of living in the accursed place, my internet was taking away from me for having a MySpace account. My dad swore I'd be easily tricked by internet predators. Anywho, some drama happened and I shipped it out of there. Now I'm back, I have the internet again and I give you a long awaited update. At least I didn't just quit on this fic. I apologize again and please don't hurt me!

Warnings: The usual out of characterness and a lime between a demon and our favorite vampire. Duo is to me what Lestat is to Ann Rice. I just love writing about him. Moving on, this chapter isn't as long as the last three. I apologize for that, but there's alot more explainations. I warn any and all Relena-bashers that there is some mentioning of 1+R/1xR. So if you're squeamish about it, (as I was), I apologize again and you may contact me personally to scream at me if you want. Yes, well, that is all. You may now read the chapter.

xoxoxox

Duo's eyes opened as his body seemed to sense the sun was now gone from the sky. He had been dreaming of his past; his father and lover, as well as the unwanted edition to their little family. Well, at least unwanted on his part. He had in his right mind to feel outraged that even after all these years, the two remained together. Not once did Trowa come searching for him. Dorothy and even Heero were guilty as well. When he had been banished, he had truly been gotten rid of for good.

"He never deserved you."

At the voice, Duo's eyes turned to look at the demon that sat beside him, his body still unable to move. His riga mortis would wear off soon enough. Treize stared down at him intently, his eyes raking over the still body that lay in front of him. Duo wasn't stupid to not know why he was staring so hard.

Treize was soon shifting from where he sat in the armchair to Duo's side on the bed, the vampire's violet-eyed warning going unseen. The demon was too enraptured with the eternally youthful body. His hand reached out to carefully part Duo's shirt again, his lips smirking as his fingers began to trace the small area of pale skin he had revealed.

"He should have never had the chance to have you." Treize was adding on to his earlier words.

His eyes glanced up to Duo's face, which was stoic, and his free hand reached up to stroke the vampire's cheek. He could marvel in this creature's beauty for hours if he chose to. There were times when he had found himself staring into a mirror, just to gaze in wonder at the face he had stolen. Times when he would run his hands over the borrowed body, as his memories reminded him how it had felt to have said body. It had been a night he had vowed never to forget, and he had seen to that. So when he entered Duo's body, other than physically, he had a lovely memory to reminisce over.

As Duo lay dormant in the recesses of his mind, Treize had busied himself with Duo's own memories. What he found had angered him at first. The ancient Nightwalker that had birthed Duo's immortality from his blood had then so easily cast him away. He could not understand how anyone or anything could turn away from such a beautiful creature. Duo's beauty demanded attention, it deserved it, and for it to be ignored outright was unimaginable.

"La mia piccola morte."

Treize froze, blue eyes wide in shock, as Duo's hand shot up and encircled his neck. The fingers closed over it tightly, threatening to crush the man's throat and Duo snarled up at him, his fangs gleaming. Treize hadn't notice that he had long regained his ability to move, and the braided vampire had used that to his advantage. Treize had no right to even think of those words.

"That should never have fallen from your tongue." The vampire whispered heatedly, sharp eyes narrowed on the demon.

Treize's shock had melted into amusement, and his choked laughter confused the Nightwalker, who merely clenched his hand tighter. Treize only lifted his hand to take hold of Duo's wrist and pry the vampire's hand from his neck. Duo growled as he realized that Treize's strength surpassed his own. He was rather enjoying the fact that he was choking the man.

"Shinigami no utsukushii kao." Treize crooned, his fingers brushing the face that was now twisting with obvious anger.

He was laughing as he stopped Duo's other hand, that had been reaching out for him, those deadly and sharp nails aimed to mar his face. Duo struggled to be released, the demon's mocking laughter enraging him further. How dare he use any of those words? Those words from his past that was for him alone; meant only to be spoken by the two who had first said them.

"How dare you!" Duo was ranting, his eyes sharpening fiercely.

Treize's laughter only grew louder as Duo's fighting increased, but being that he had been gathering strength for a few hundred years and that this was _his _domain, he easily overpowered the vampire. Duo cried out in frustration as his arms were soon pinned to the bed, Treize's weight laid out over him as he tried to thrash, and thus prevented him from doing so.

"Come now, little vampire." Treize taunted him, Duo calming for the moment to glare up at him. "Are those words forbidden for me to say?"

"Those words are my own!" Duo hissed, wanting to lash out. "I will hear them from no one!"

"No one but your master." Treize reminded him. "As well as his Oriental toy that he discarded you for."

The reminder hurt, but Duo hid the flinch that nearly happened from the words. Treize had no right, no matter what Trowa had done, to use such painful memories against him.

"He was stupid." Treize told the vampire, noting that Duo was calming some. "Had it been me who was your master, I would have treasured you."

Duo merely scoffed, but watched all the same as Treize took to studying him again, those blue eyes tracing the length of his body.

"If it was I who had you. . ."

Treize's words trailed off, as the demon eagerly drank in the sight of the beautiful creature beneath him. All he could have done with the young Nightwalker; shown him, taught him, let him feel.

"Do you not have me now?" Duo asked him, jerking him from his obsessive staring.

He looked at Duo for a moment in suspicion, the Nightwalker's words confusing him for the moment. It would seem that Duo had a change of attitude, though Treize wasn't sure. Duo's body was still tight with anger, though his face showed an expression of sudden . . . desire. He smiled then, knowing what Duo meant to do. Who was he to refuse? It was what he wanted to begin with.

He leaned forward, pressing even closer to the body beneath his, with his eyes studying violet orbs that had been lit with the fire of rage. It still burned behind the obvious look of lust, and Treize was satisfied that Duo's anger hadn't gone out. Even if it was directed toward him, he did love when the vampire was in such a mood. It made his blood sing, his heart race. . .

Boldly he pressed his hips into Duo's, the vampire gasping at the feel of the man's obvious arousal, and Treize laughed. Yes, it made him this excited as well. His lips found Duo's, and even though the vampire tensed at the action, he didn't pull away. Treize wouldn't have cared either way, he had waited centuries to have another taste of Duo and now that he had it, he would let nothing stop him.

He carefully guided Duo's hands above his head, restraining them in one hand, so that the other could lower to the chestnut colored locks. They were free from the creature's usual braid and he had always wanted to run his fingers through them. He let himself indulge in doing so, his lips working to get the vampire to give in.

Gently his tongue brushed against the soft lips, trying to coax them to part, but the vampire was being stubborn. As much as he had shown lust, he was not truly interested in being intimate. However, Treize would have his way.

Duo stiffened at the scent of blood, wanting to pull away from the kiss, but unable to. Treize's hand fisted his hair and shoved his head closer as the vampire began to move, determined to keep him where he was. Duo's eyes clenched shut as he fought against the need that now clawed within him. He had wanted things to stay in his control, but Treize was trying to turn the tables.

His body was trembling now as he fought to keep his lips closed, even as he felt the slick warm blood now caressing them, slowly dripping down his chin as he tried his best to refuse it. He sagged in relief as Treize pulled away, his violet eyes slowly opening to look up at the demon. He regretted his action as he watched Treize's lips coated with blood, the man smiling down at him in triumph. He was so sure that he had already won.

"Don't fight it, Duo." Treize told him, his hand reaching out to caress a pale cheek.

He let his hand trace to the young man's chin, his thumb easily wiping the trail of blood that had slowly fell, and then he brought it to Duo's already blood stained lips. Gently he spread it, watching as Duo's chest rose and fell with panting breaths. It was proof that Duo was losing this fight.

"Give in." He coaxed him, watching as Duo unconsciously licked his lips.

He smiled as Duo's eyes sharpened at the taste of blood, his pupils narrowing to mere slits, violet eyes brightening. The vampire's tongue was soon licking at his finger, Treize smiling at the delicious little moan the Nightwalker let loose. He continued to watch as his thumb disappeared between soft, pink lips, Duo's eyes heavily lidded with want. Treize had him right where he wanted him; the vampire had played right into his hands.

The demon hissed in pain at the shock of teeth biting into his finger, but he didn't pull away. He watched as Duo greedily suckled his thumb, trying his best to draw as much blood as he could from the small bite. As Duo bit him again, obviously impatient with the small amount of blood flow, Treize pulled away. The vampire whined at the loss, his eyes looking up at the demon in a pleading manner.

Treize only brought his thumb to his own lips, spreading the blood across them, before he was leaning over Duo yet again. The youthful body was pressing up against his desperately, Duo trying his best to free his hands from their restraining hold, but to no avail. Treize would give in only when he wanted to.

Treize looked down at Duo's face, enjoying as the vampire squirmed beneath him and simply waited. It would come soon enough; in fact, it came sooner than he had expected.

"Please!" The Nightwalker was begging him, his voice quivering.

Treize lowered his lips to Duo's with a laugh, his tongue plunging in to that sweet mouth without hesitation. Duo's muffled moan was music to his ears as he slowly and yet forcefully stroked the inside of Duo's mouth. Duo's own tongue soon enough made its way into the demon's mouth, searching for the blood that made his body tremble.

With a freshly placed cut to Treize's tongue, Duo sighed as the warm fluid flowed into his mouth. Treize took the opportunity of Duo's being distracted to easily remove the vampire's shirt, his hand smoothly running over the pale chest. He laughed at Duo's cry of surprise, as his fingers easily toyed with his left nipple, eager to bring pleasure to the smaller body beneath his.

His lips pulled away from Duo's so that he could kiss and nip his way to Duo's neck, tasting every inch of skin he could. To think that this beautiful vampire was now his. Trowa had stupidly thrown him away, and though Treize had been angry with the other vampire at first, he was now grateful. This breathtaking creature would never have been his if Trowa had kept him. Duo was his now.

"Mine!" He growled possessively, his body thrusting against Duo's, as his hands removed the rest of his clothing.

His own clothing he cast away with a mere thought and without warning, he was buried inside the Nightwalker's body, Duo crying out at the rough entrance. Treize began to move, not wanting to wait and he lifted himself to watch down at his beautiful vampire. His free hand was tangled in chestnut locks once again, and he pulled, watching as Duo's neck arched almost painfully as the young man screamed in a mixture of pleasure and pain.

Blue eyes narrowed on the vein of Duo's neck, watching in fascination as it pulsed and wanting nothing more than to sink his own teeth in it. It had been centuries since he had tasted him in such a way, it would be delightful to do so again.

"Delinos."

The gasped word had him moaning, Treize's eyes closing in pure ecstasy as he thrust into the willing body, feeling as his mind and body strengthened. Yes, that was what he wanted to hear. Those sweet lips had to say his name once more.

"Again!" He commanded, looking down at the panting vampire.

"Delinos." It was a moan, a beautiful sound to the demon's ears.

Yes!" He groaned, his hips pumping faster as his power steadily grew. "Again!"

"Delinos!" Duo was screaming, his body arching as he was taken.

The room they were in seemed to soon be drowned in a strong aura that in no doubt was seeping from the demon. They continued to move against each other, Duo's cries now nothing more than incoherent babbling. Both demon and vampire were close, so very close. Treize easily took to stroking Duo, eager to hear his name cried out at the peak of his passion.

"Say it!" He demanded.

"Del-" It stopped short as Duo body grew taught, his eyes clenching closed in his release.

Treize had been waiting for it, but it never came. He had wanted to spend himself with Duo screaming his true name, but his end came with another's name falling from cruel lips.

"Trowa!"

He was unable to stop himself, and Treize emptied himself into Duo's tight passage, his body jerking with the force of his orgasm. He stilled, leaning over Duo, his eyes watching down at the spent vampire, who offered him a smile. It was a smile that revealed it was Duo's intention to scream his master's name. The smile turned into laughter; cold and cruel.

The demon felt as if he should pull away, but he was unable to, even when he released Duo and those hands reached for him. His face was taken hold of, with Duo's hands mockingly caressing him. He realized that this was Duo's act of vengeance. The vampire had done well in hurting him this way; using Treize's desire against him. The demon mentally scolded himself for being so stupid. Duo had managed to bruise him in a way that would take some time to heal.

"Does it hurt?" Duo asked him in a gentle voice, but Treize was able to hear that it was intended to sting.

And it did, the words were sharp and cut deep.

"Let that be your way of knowing, that those words are never to be spoken again." Duo coldly warned him, before he was easily pushing the demon's stolen body off of him.

He climbed out of the bed, not bothering to redress himself as he began to leave the room. Why should he bother? There was no one else there beside the two of them.

"Go and feed, Treize." He simply told the demon before he disappeared. "My body is hungry."

Treize glared at the retreating back, knowing it would do no good to go after Duo in hopes of gaining his own revenge. No, he would have to hurt Duo as tactfully as the vampire had hurt him. His eyes were soon looking to the portrait that had to have been recently put up, eyes burning at the vampire it portrayed. His lips were then smiling as he continued to stare at it.

"Even after you turned your back on him, you still hold him." Treize spoke aloud, climbing from the bed to stand in front of the painting.

His hand caressed the canvas, before his nails were soon ripping into it, destroying the portrait slowly. He pulled back to watch the now shredded picture, wanting nothing more than to see the vampire's actual body ripped to ribbons. He'd do just that tonight.

"When I am through with you, Duo will be as good as mine."

xoxoxox

Violet eyes snapped open and greeted the darkness of the cellar he had hid himself in. Now out in the real world, he was Duo Maxwell, the vampire. He smiled as he stood from the ground he had been lying on and slowly climbed the stairs, pushing open the metal doors to stare out at the night sky.

Immediately, he sensed the strong mortal life, the one of the boy he had been searching for. His nose easily caught the distinct and yet faint smell of fear. The boy knew he was coming for him.

He froze as he recognized an odd sort of presence that accompanied the magic of the Spellbinder. A smile took his face as he realized just what it was. Duo's own master had taken claim to his young human, which would mean that any sense of trouble would have the Nightwalker coming to his aid.

He laughed at his unbelievable luck. He would get his wish tonight. The blood of that precious mortal, as well as the satisfaction of ridding himself of the one thing that stood between him and the vampire that was now _his_.

Tonight the earth would stain red, to mark that he would soon be free. His laughter echoed throughout the night sky as he took off in search of his quarry.

xoxoxox

Quatre jumped out of his trance, startling the older witch that sat with him, his blue eyes widening in dread as his body was soon covered in a cold sweat. Something was wrong, or rather, was soon going to be and he had no idea what it was. The only thing he could think of was Wufei and how his young friend was in danger.

"Quatre?"

He looked to Sally as she called his name and the witch gasped, reaching out for her young apprentice and taking hold of his hands.

"Goddess, Quatre." She whispered, desperately wanting to calm him. "You're shaking. What is it?"

He didn't know what it was, or else he would have told her. He only had some idea that it concerned Wufei. How could he explain to her that he was now more worried about finding his friend than this demon that would threaten all of mankind if he were to be released?

Another cold shock ran down his spine and his body began to violently shake, which caused Sally to tighten her hold on him. This was nothing he had experienced before and he hoped that he never had to feel this again. What seemed to be a cold, heavy stone, settled in his stomach and he was suddenly nauseous, doubling over at the feeling.

"Quatre, what is it?" Sally was desperately asking. "You must tell me."

She could not explain what was happening to the younger witch, for she did not know what it was. She only wished that she could help him. She wanted to help him, but had no idea how. This was beyond her reach. Quatre would have to deal with this on his own it would seem.

The hair on the back of her neck rose as the air in the room seemed to grow tense and she stiffened as Quatre's trembling turned into sharp jerks, the blond whimpering with each one. She gasped in pure shock as a burst of energy and power shook the room, and she stumbled away from the witch in front of her.

She had always known that Quatre was no ordinary witch and now in front of her was the proof. Aquamarine eyes looked up at her pleadingly, the boy's pupils having seemed to disappear. He wanted her to help him, but she had no idea how. The room trembled again, as Quatre fell against the desk which held the map they had been going over, his body jerking painfully again.

"Sally." The boy whimpered, looking to her again. "The door."

Her eyes widened as she realized what this entire episode meant. Quatre had found the door and the string of magic that had been placed to protect it was doing as it was meant to. Quatre was fighting it and doing a damn good job. She was sure if it had been her, she would have been dead by now.

She moved closer to the table, stumbling a bit as her mind was overpowered for a moment by the magic escaping from Quatre. It confirmed her suspicions; she would most definately have been dead had she been in his place. She fought the urge to collapse and was soon leaning against the desk, panting as she fought to keep herself conscious.

She looked to her apprentice who was now screaming in agony, his muscles jerking in a way that had to be nothing but painful. He couldn't give up yet, the door had to be revealed and he was the only one who could show it to her.

"Where is it, Quatre?" She begged him, taking hold of a convulsing hand. "Show it to me!"

With a long scream of intense suffering tearing itself from Quatre's throat, Sally watched as his hand slammed down on an area of the map, ripping into the paper as his finger locked into a fist. Sally cried out as she was flung back to the floor with one last burst of energy escaping from Quatre.

In moments things stilled again, and she quietly groaned in pain, slowly lifting herself from the floor. When she was standing, she looked to her desk, only to find that Quatre was no longer there.

"Quatre!" The panic in her voice was easy to hear.

She found that he had merely dropped to the floor as she ran over and was soon kneeling by his side, not sure if she should breathe in relief just yet. Trembling fingers slowly reached out for the boy's neck, pressing against his pulse and waiting for some sign that the young man had lived. She found it in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and she couldn't help the sob of relief that came with it.

Her apprentice, her little witch, had nearly died. She could easily blame herself for all that had happened to him, she had after all asked for his help, and he had so willingly agreed to do so. Sally couldn't stop the sobs that wracked her body as she leaned onto the blond witch, who now lay unconscious on her floor. She couldn't help but think that he could have died, but she was sure her sobbing was at the grateful knowledge that he was still here.

"I'm so sorry." She sniffled, taking to lifting Quatre's head and resting it in her lap.

Slowly, her sobbing died down to quiet sniffling, as her fingers gently combed through golden locks, feeling horrible every time the young witch's body jerked in the aftershock of what he had just gone through. It took nearly an hour for his body to calm again and it was only then that his teacher reached for his clenched hand, the one that held the ripped piece of the map.

Carefully, she uncurled his fingers and extracted the paper from it, unfurling it as best as she could. Her eyes, now red from her crying, looked over the piece of paper and she frowned as she realized where it was.

"God and Goddess help us." She murmured, lowering her hand. "He's chosen Holy ground."

She looked down again at the crumbled area that mapped the location of St. Patrick's cathedral and decided she had best get a move on it. It would take some time to convince the head of this church to speak with her, especially when it came to matters such as this. Either way, this was something she had to do. If she was going to make sure that this demon never got to his door, she would have to put up with a few blockheaded Catholics.

There was screaming just outside her door and her head turned in its direction at the sound of the commotion. No sooner did she stand from her place by Quatre's side, did the doors burst open and she was greeted by the sight of a snarling vampire, his cobalt eyes frantically searching the room.

"Where is he!" He boomed, Sally calmly looking him over.

She had never seen this vampire before, but he held a feel of familiarity to him. She would ponder it another time, for now she had to try and calm him down.

"Where is Quatre!"

Oh, so that was who he was here for. Her eyebrow rose as she wondered just why this vampire was taking such an interest in her apprentice, but she stopped herself from asking any questions. Sally already knew why he was here and just what caused him such concern. This young vampire had already set his sights on her apprentice to take as his own. He was either stupid and ignoring the oath, or was too young to even know of it.

She looked behind him to where her other witches were watching on warily, a bit shaken at his appearance but unharmed. Sally decided that it was the former assumption, since he had chosen not to lay a hand on any of them. She was aware that he was growing impatient and she circled to the front of her desk, before easily moving closer to the vampire that now glared at her.

"Peace, Nightwalker." She gently begged of him, closing the door as she did so. "He is safe."

She was startled only a moment when any icy grip took hold of her arm, and she was soon staring into worried cobalt eyes.

"Where is he, Spellbinder?" The vampire asked her. "Show him to me."

She found it best to agree and simply nodded before leading the brown-haired Nightwalker to the desk. The moment that Quatre was in sight, the vampire swooped down and took him in his arms, Sally aware of the protective and yet possessive hold.

"What happened to him?" He gently demanded, his eyes glancing up at her.

"Your name first, Nightwalker." She bargained, curious to know just who he was.

"Heero Yuy." He offered her.

"I am Sally" She greeted, before asking. "And your Master's name?"

"Trowa Barton."

She stilled at the name, her shock obviously written on her face, as Heero had took to studying her.

"You know him?" He asked her, lifting Quatre from the floor.

"Only too well." Sally mumbled, shaking off her self-induced trance. "Come, rest him down. We must talk."

Heero looked down at the young witch in his arms. He had been hunting when he suddenly felt the mortal's distress and had followed that distinct feeling that was Quatre all the way here. He could not explain how he had suddenly known that the young witch was in trouble, but he would not stand for it. He had rushed to his rescue, forcing his way past wards and witches to get to _his _witch.

He paused as he realized that he had so easily laid claim to the young witch, and he was sure that if Trowa was here, the vampire would be smiling at him in triumph. The female witch, who he gathered was the leader of this coven, gently pulled him from his thoughts with the call of his name and began leading him to a couch where he could rest Quatre down.

Sally wanted to talk with him and he found it best that he stay and listen to what it was she had to say.

xoxoxox

Trowa had woken that night to find that Quatre and Wufei were both gone. He had asked Wesley if he had any idea as to where they had gone, but the old man had informed him that he did not. Then the butler had announced that Heero had left as well. That news wasn't surprising. He was sure that his child had gone after the Spellbinder, as Heero was showing his want for the young man more and more.

At the moment, he sat in the den, watching as Dorothy and Relena softly conversed at the small dining table over tea. He had no idea why Dorothy had insisted it, when she knew that they could not drink it. However, he let her have her way. He could remember the years they had spent with each other and Dorothy had always made a show of pretending to dine as if they were mortal. He could never figure as to why she did so, but then again, he also never had the heart to.

He continued to watch the two vampiresses as they chattered away, smiling as he realized just how much Dorothy had grown attached to Relena. He was guilty to admit that he himself had never liked the girl much, especially before she had become a vampire. He had been quite wary of her the moment that Heero had laid eyes on her.

Heero had found her during a play in England back in the nineteenth century. Trowa had watched as their eyes met across the room and had known that Heero had set his sights on her from that moment on. He had let him be at first, watching as Heero took to the fashion of courting her, (for the sake of her father), as if he meant to marry her. He had bared witness to Heero sneaking away to her in the dark of night; following and watching his young one enjoy another.

He had hated her, had wanted to do away with her, but for some odd reason had done nothing to bring an end to them. He was cold to her when Heero brought her to their house, he was indifferent to anything she did to try and get his approval. He despised her and wanted nothing more than to have Heero grow tired of her. That never happened, and he knew the exact moment Heero had decided to turn her.

Trowa had tried to talk some sense into his fledging, but that was when Heero's anger had started. The young vampire had yelled, screamed, argued that she would be his first child; his happiness. Relena would be the one he would love for eternity when Trowa would find another to replace him, just as he had replaced Duo. He had been stunned to silence then at the words, shocked that Heero would use that against him, and hurt that his fledgling thought such a thing.

Bruised, he let the young vampire be. He regretted not fighting it. Heero had gone through with it, and Relena was added to their small family. Things were fine for at least a week and then Trowa was burdened with a rejected newborn. Heero would not even look in her direction, nor acknowledge her as his own. He knew of this sort of thing, but had never thought it truly possible. He did have doubts that he would do the same the night he turned Heero, but he had ended up loving his fledgling as much as his first.

He had only assumed it would be the same with Heero and his first child, but the vampire had easily pushed her away. Where he had once adored her, he now scorned her and Trowa found himself doing all such things that was rightfully Heero's duty. He had approached his fledgling when it had become too much, demanded that Heero take responsibility for his actions, but Heero had refused.

Green eyes focused on Dorothy as Trowa was pulled momentarily from his thoughts. He smiled as he watched her tease Relena, who had tried to drink the tea but ended up spitting it back into her cup. Dorothy had come to the girl's rescue and had taken Relena under her wing. Not before she gave Heero a good earful and a fitting punishment. Having borrowed Trowa's idea of locking Duo away when the vampire had misbehaved, Dorothy had done the same to Heero before leaving for her new home in Austria with Relena in tow.

The young vampiress had been reluctant to leave her Master, but had been easily convinced that it was the right choice. During the years, she had always tried to get him to accept her again, but Heero had down right refused, turning his back to her every time. Trowa would have thought that Relena would not have prospered without him, but she had done just fine. Dorothy had taken especially good care of her. Then again, he hadn't expected anything other than that.

He stiffened suddenly at an uncomfortable feeling that brushed his senses, causing him to stand from his seat. Dorothy was standing as well, her eyes focused on Trowa who was too busy staring out the window into the distance. Relena's whimper of uncertainty drew his attention to the two immortal women, and Trowa tried his best to relax, so as to calm the youngest of them.

"What is it, Trowa?" Dorothy was asking him.

He could tell that she felt it as well, but could not decipher what it was. Trowa himself was trying to recognize it, as it felt familiar. As it brushed his senses again, accompanied by a sense that young Wufei was in danger, his eyes widened in realization.

"It is him." He announced, Dorothy gasping.

Relena stared up at her Mistress, who now stood with shimmering eyes, never having thought to see the older vampire this affected by anything. What could bring her lady so close to tears?

"La mia piccola morte." She heard Trowa whisper.

She would have turned her attention to him, but the tear that rolled down Dorothy's cheek kept her eyes planted on her.

"My little devil." Her Mistress murmured with a smile, Relena catching the affection said with those words.

The two female vampires watched as Trowa bounded off, throwing open the balcony doors of the den and disappearing into the night. Relena watched the window in wide-eyed amazement, before she was turning to Dorothy for an explanation. It would seem it would have to wait, because as she looked to her Mistress, she found that she was gone. With a sigh, Relena stood from her chair, ready to search out Wesley. Perhaps he had some idea of who this "little devil" was?

xoxoxox

The sound of a car screeching to a halt made the few cops that stood outside the precinct look to the street in curiosity. To their surprise it was a police car; a detective's car to be precise. They watched as Detective Marquise climbed out of the car, his siren still blaring, to let out the passenger in the back.

No questions were asked as the detective made his way inside, an obviously frightened looking teen behind him. A couple of cops chuckled as they passed, the rest shaking their head. It was probably some punk that had done a miner crime and now Zechs was going to scare him into never attempting it again.

Little did they know it had nothing to do with that. Inside the precinct, Zechs hadn't stopped until they had reached his office, and he had Wufei seated on the sole couch. The boy looked so scared and he was shaking, those ebony eyes still wide with obvious fright.

"Wufei-"

"Not here." Wufei interrupted him, his voice starting low but steadily rising. "It's not safe here, Zechs. Please, let's go somewhere else."

Zechs was confused to no end. He had no chance to figure it out, since Wufei was standing and ready to leave.

"I can't stay here." The boy was rambling. "You have to take me somewhere else."

Zechs moved to stop him, turning the dark-haired teen to face him and cringing inside at Wufei's terrified look.

"Wufei, I can't let you leave." Zechs tried to explain, Wufei shaking his head in disbelief. "I had no choice but to bring you in."

"No!" The boy objected, pushing Zechs away from him. "He'll find me here!"

Zechs grabbed for him again as Wufei turned to leave, and found himself fighting to calm the boy down. He was sure that someone was bound to come in here soon, as Wufei was now screaming, begging that he be taken elsewhere. As he expected, someone did come in and much to his dismay, it was the one person he rather it not be.

Une had been the first to react as shouting came from Zechs' office. She had been aware when the two entered the precinct, but had kept her distance. She would allow Zechs the freedom to deal with Wufei as he pleased. She was only happy that he had taken her advice and brought him in. However, the screams that where coming from his office had warned her that something wasn't right and she had rushed in. Just in time it would seem, as the boy was fighting against Zechs, who seemed to be having a difficult time holding on to him.

She rushed over, eager to put an end to it and helped Zechs to subdue him. In no time, the boy was cuffed and Une glared up at Zechs who stared down at the boy in guilt.

"Get a grip, Marquise!" She snapped at him, the detective turning his attention to her. "When I get back from taking him to a cell, you have some fucking explaining to do."

Though he was cuffed, the boy still fought, trying his best not to be led anywhere. As he was dragged from the room, he looked to Zechs, who only stood and watched.

"Please, Zechs!" The boy was near tears, and Zechs felt his stomach drop at the sheer horror on the boy's voice. "Take me somewhere safe! Don't let him get me! Please!"

As the boy was dragged away, his pleading growing fainter, Zechs felt his knees weaken and he dropped down onto the couch. He was suddenly feeling ill, and not to mention, guilty. Wufei seemed so scared, so sure that he was in danger, and Zechs wanted nothing more than to believe him. He couldn't however, and the thought made his stomach twist with nausea again.

"What the hell happened?"

At Noin's voice, Zechs looked up to find the blue-haired woman at his door, her face fitted with a frown of confusion. He merely shook his head, not exactly sure that he wanted to speak to her at the moment. No, he had to speak to Wufei, try to get him to understand.

He stood from the couch and brushed past Noin without a word to her, making his way downstairs to where they held the cells. Noin could only watch him as he walked away, huffing in exasperation as she was left clueless. This was going to be one hell of a night. She could feel it in her gut.

xoxoxox

Down in the cell area, Zechs searched for whatever cell Wufei was being contained in. He found Une walking in his direction and he met her, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Where is he?" He asked her.

"Zechs-"

She had been ready to argue with him, but Zechs' hold on her shoulders had tightened threateningly, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Just tell me!" He demanded, not having the patience to deal with her at the present moment.

"Calm the fuck down, Marquise!" Une ordered him, pushing him away. "He's in cell thirteen."

He stormed off before she had a chance to tell him anything else.

"Don't you dare do anything stupid!" She called after him, watching as he disappeared around the corner.

Zechs made it to Wufei's cell fast enough and at the sight of him, Wufei was at the bars, his eyes begging up at the detective, who wanted nothing more than to open the door. He had the urge to hold onto the teenaged boy and assure him that everything would be alright, that there was nothing he should be afraid of.

"Wufei-"

"Zechs, I'm scared." The boy said outright, interrupting whatever is was the detective was going to say.

Zechs reached out to take hold of one of the bars, and he wasn't too surprised when Wufei's hand closed over his, squeezing desperately. The boy's other hand reached through the bars to grab hold of his jacket, clinging just as hard to it as he did the man's hand. It had Zechs moving closer, his own arm reaching through the bars to wrap around Wufei's shoulder, bringing the boy close to him as much as their barrier allowed them to be.

"It'll be alright." Zechs tried to calm him. "We'll find the guy who did it. I promise you, you'll be out of here soon."

Wufei did feel himself a bit at ease as the detective tried his best to embrace him, and he let his eyes close as his breathing slowed just a tad, but his heart was still racing. In fact, it was now beating faster. He was closing in.

"Promise me that you won't let him get me." Wufei mumbled, trying his best to pull himself closer to Zechs' body.

Zechs had no idea who this person was that Wufei spoke of, but he promised him all the same, knowing that Wufei needed him to, and knowing that he himself wanted to.

"I promise." He whispered into ebony locks, which had loosened during their tussle in his office. "No one will take you from me."

He didn't even catch the last few of his own words, and lucky for him, Wufei didn't either.

"Good." Wufei sighed, looking up to Zechs with those fear-filled eyes. "Because he's here."

T.B.C.

Yes, I know but I'm working on the next chapter. Honestly, I am! I'm really sorry about the long wait and I tried my best to make this chapter good enough to make up for it. Please tell me what you think, you can even yell at me for taking so long. I'll try to get up the next chapter as soon as I can. Just put up with me for a while longer.


	15. Chapter 14: Death Warning

Disclaimer: I do not own any character that can be found within the show of Gundam Wing; some very lucky people in Japan do. Luckily for me, I can borrow them from time to time and return them safe and sound. Except Wufei, I keep him, because he's my Googey-bear! xD

Author's Note: As promised, I am updating as fast as I can manage. I luckily have my mojo flowing for this story, although I don't know if mojo is the right word for this. Anyway, my muses are on a roll with this particular fic. My other fics aren't that lucky, but hey I'm trying. Now let's get on with the show!

WARNINGS: OOCness, as we have already discussed. Damn it, I couldn't help it, but there is a death in this chapter of one of the main characters. I beg that you do not kill me, but it was nagging and gnawing at me and wouldn't let go. I had to do it, I just had to! There's really nothing else to warn you about, so I hope that you enjoy as much of this chapter as you can.

xoxoxox

Noin couldn't help but sigh as she stood behind the front desk, leaning forward onto the top, her chin propped up on the palm of her hand. She had been silently waiting for things to calm down, as she had eagerly been told about the commotion by an overexcited Melissa. She could understand the girl's excitement. A rookie was usually assigned to desk duty, so any sort of action was sure to make her happy, even if she wasn't directly involved.

Said rookie was busy chattering away on the phone, recalling the event to some relative of hers, most likely her mother. Noin gave a small smile as she watched the younger woman. She could remember that she had done the same when she had first started. Her smile slowly disappeared as the air suddenly seemed to turn colder, sending her hair standing on end and a shiver throughout her body. Something was wrong; she could feel it.

"Mom, I have to go."

Melissa's voice was trembling, for some odd reason she was scared, and Noin could compare to the feeling. Her heart was beginning to race, her body telling her it would be best to run, but she had been and still was to some degree a cop herself, so that meant she fought against instinct in the name of duty.

The rest of the precinct had slowly began to fall silent, all eyes focusing on the main doors, as if expecting something to come through them at any moment. It was at that moment Une had returned from the basement, her face frowning as she realized how quiet things had become. She caught sight of Noin behind the front desk, and she purposefully made her way over to her, gently taking hold of the woman by her arm.

"There you are, Noin." She greeted, pulling the woman's attention to her. "What's going on? Why's everything so quiet?"

Noin slowly shook her head to answer the question, not exactly sure how she could explain to Une that she _felt _that something was going to happen. Her mouth went to open in an attempt to explain, but she was stopped by the sound of a scream coming from outside, her eyes looking to the doors again.

Une did the same, a hand idly resting on the gun that sat in her holster. She was now even more confused than she had been before. Another scream and a loud bang against the door had most of the occupants in the precinct jumping. Une wasn't sure what the hell was going on, but whatever it was, it most definitely wasn't good.

There was one last scream from outside and then the doors were flung in, an officer flying inside to land on the floor. All eyes watched as the man rolled along the tiled floor, before he finally came to a stop. Une heard Melissa gasp, as her own eyes widened at the sight in front of them.

"Oh my God." Noin was breathless. "He's dead."

Melissa's scream had them looking up to the doorway, only to see a strange man dressed in black, save a violet colored dress shirt. His long hair was loose and somewhat tussled, meaning that he had been the one to cause the commotion; that and the blood that was dripping from his hands.

His presence was disturbing and Une had the feeling that she was staring at something that was definitely classified under "not of this world". Noin could feel it too, as she had made the sign of the cross with one hand, the other reaching for the gun in her holster. Melissa was still screaming and Une wished that for one second she could shut up.

The two forensic specialists paused as the man smiled, neither hesitating to pull free their guns. Before they knew it, however, the man was beside them, Melissa's head cradled in his hands. Her screaming stopped as her head was turned, the sickening crack of bone breaking reverberating loudly. Une was the first to react, aiming her gun at the offender.

"Freeze! Hands in the air!"

The man only laughed and disappeared out of sight just as soon as her shot rang out. Une watched wide-eyed as an officer fell to his knees, eyes wide in disbelief as his chest began to bleed from the bullet wound.

"Shit!" She swore as she watched him slump forward, now dead.

"Une!"

Noin's screamed warning wasn't given in time and Une felt herself flying across the room, crashing into a wall with a cry of pain. She fell to the floor in time to hear other officers cocking their guns and then the shooting began. Noin cautiously made her way to where her friend had fallen and she knelt beside her, ready to drag her to cover.

"Une, are you alright?" She questioned her, helping her up.

The sounds of screams were increasing and Une stared up to find officers dropping one by one. This couldn't possibly be happening. She watched as the strange man made his way through the room, bringing down every one in his path, his laughter louder than the gunshots around them. The sound of it chilled the two women down to their bones, freezing them to their spots momentarily in fear.

It was only momentarily because the feeling of pain shooting through Une's left side pulled her from her stunned state, while her scream broke the spell for Noin. The blonde woman swore as she glanced down at her bleeding side. Noin pulled her down behind the front desk, determined to check and make sure that her friend was okay.

Deft fingers lifted the woman's shirt so that she could study the bullet wound, and even though Une was groaning in pain, Noin sighed in relief. Though it was still bleeding a bit, the bullet had only nicked her; Une was in no immediate danger; or so Noin wanted to think. She had no idea how safe they were with this crazed man in their midst.

"We need back up." Une was pushing through clenched teeth, lifting the radio from Melissa's dead body, which was right beside them. "Radio Zechs and tell him to get his ass up here. If I die I swear I'll fucking kick his ass."

She shoved the radio into Noin's hand, who couldn't help but smile fondly at the wounded woman. Even in pain Une was her usual self; as bitchy and bossy as ever. Around them chaos ensued, as shots and screams continued to go on. Noin wanted to object as Une took to standing, so as to get a better shot, but the woman would not be swayed. They had to try and take this fucker down, before he ended up killing every cop in the vicinity.

Pressing down on the transmit button, Noin radioed for more help before she tried to reach Detective Marquise. Though if the man had his on, it wasn't necessary to radio him personally, but she figured she had better do it any way.

"Detective Marquise this is Noin, do you copy? We have a situation going down and we need all extra hands!" She stopped to listen, but heard nothing. "Zechs, do you copy!"

She heard other cops responding to other reports, but no Zechs.

"Zechs, do you read!"

Nothing. She swore as she threw the radio aside, figuring that it was pointless. She looked up to Une, who had just finished off her clip and needed to replace it. She took to cocking her own gun, standing and allowing for the woman to do so.

Une swore under her breath as she ducked behind the counter, her hand clutching her bleeding side. Lucky for her, the stray bullet only grazed her, but damn it if it didn't hurt as if it was still there. Her own gun she was soon reloading, aware that the rest of the force was still firing, trying their best to stop the intruder.

"Where the fuck is Zechs?" She asked no one in particular, replacing her clip.

He had yet to show up. She was sure that word of the current trouble had reached the cells, but the detective hadn't come yet. They needed every available person if they wanted to apprehend this man. She slowly shook her head as she recalled that she was wrong. Whatever the fuck this thing was, it wasn't a man.

She was standing again, ready to fire but found that there was no one to shoot at. She looked to Noin ready to question, but the woman was jumping over the desk and pursuing the perp who had disappeared down the stairs to the holding cells.

"Son of bitch!" Was all she was able to say, and she was soon running after Noin.

xoxoxox

Downstairs, Zechs felt the sudden approach of danger. So did Wufei, the boy's grip tightening on the blond detective. Whoever was coming after Wufei had the boy scared shitless, and Zechs was beginning to wonder if it was safe to leave Wufei behind bars. He figured that it was, being that without the key, Wufei's pursuer wouldn't be able to come after him.

The two looked down the hallway at the sound of gunshots, and then a blood curdling scream sounded, which had Wufei whimpering. It caused Zechs to unconsciously pull the boy closer to him against the bars, a hand rubbing soothing circles on the boy's back.

"Zechs." Wufei was calling him, drawing the older man to look at him. "Go now."

Confusion hit Zechs again at the words. Just moments ago, Wufei didn't want him to leave and now he was sending him away? It didn't make any sense.

"He'll kill you." Wufei tried to reason, as if sensing the man's unasked question. "Please, just go."

Zechs merely shook his head, refusing to do as Wufei requested. There was no way that he was going to allow anyone or anything to get to Wufei. He had known, since the day he and Wufei had met face to face, that he would do anything for him. There was no way that he'd run now, not when Wufei needed him to protect him.

More gunshots rang through the cell area, followed by two other screams of officers dying, and Zechs jaw set in determination. He had to make sure that whoever was after the Chinese youth never got to him. He pulled away from Wufei to take the boy's face in his hands, looking down into frightened eyes.

"Forgive me?" He asked with a small smile.

The words caused Wufei to shake his head in disbelief. Zechs couldn't be serious. There was no way he would come back alive.

"Zechs, wait!"

His words were obviously ignored as Zechs turned to run off, Wufei reaching out for him, but barely grasping onto his jacket.

"Zechs, no! Come back!"

The officer was gone in a matter of moments, having rounded the corner, gun drawn and ready to defend the eighteen year old teen.

xoxoxox

Duo ignored the blood stains on his clothes and skin, as well as the dead bodies that now littered the floor. He hadn't minded the bloodshed, in fact, he had quite enjoyed himself. Yet now, he wanted the boy, and the humans that kept coming in his way were annoying. _Nothing _was going to keep him from that boy. He needed him; in a few days it would be time and he wanted to have his way of passage safe and sound before then.

A couple more policemen, and women, were soon blocking his path, but he disposed of them with relative ease. Blood splattering over him, the floor, even the high ceiling. Now he was mad and he stormed onward, following the boy's fear, using it to lead him to where he was being hidden.

He steps faltered as he rounded the corner, the sight of the blond officer from a few nights ago now in front of him, his gun poised. Duo cried out in pain as he was shot, the force of it causing him to stumble back, and then drop to one knee. His hand rose to the center of his chest where the bullet had struck, and he watched as the blood he had just attained escaped his body. With a snarl he was glaring up at the detective. He would pay for this.

Zechs on the other hand was now stunned. He would have never thought that he'd run into this guy again, although during the few days he had been seeing the man's face very often. Ice blue eyes widened in awe as a tremble passed through his body. What could only be fangs were gleaming in the fluorescent lighting as the man, (or was it?), snarled at him.

The only thing Zechs could think to do was shoot again and he lifted his gun to aim it. He never had the chance to pull the trigger. At an inhuman speed, the man had taken hold of his arm and wrenched the gun free. Zechs was screaming as his arm was twisted painfully, the pressure placed on the bones of his arm threatening to break it with one more jerk.

He let his eyes look up at glaring violet, and his body took hold of a cold sweat. He had the feeling that he was staring death in the face. Even though he was sure he was close to pissing himself in sheer horror, Zechs kept a scowl on his face to match his attacker's.

"Where is my mortal?" The man inquired, his tone of voice revealing his impatience.

His mortal? Zechs resisted the urge to snort at the man's audacious attitude. Wufei belonged to no one. Though if they made it out of this alive, he would try his best to make sure that the Chinese teen became _his_.

"You will tell me where he is!" Duo barked, his hand closing around Zechs' arm in a crushing hold.

Zechs was screaming in agony as he felt one bone break, his knees weakening at the intense pain, but he fought to keep standing. When he felt he had enough strength to, he let his eyes rise to glare at the long-haired _something_, his lips pulled back in a snarl of his own.

"Go to hell!"

He quickly regretted his words, as his arm was then turned at the slightest angle, snapping the remaining bone.

"You will regret that, detective." The vampire promised him, his eyes bleeding red.

"Zechs!"

Noin's voice was his saving grace, as it distracted Duo momentarily, the vampire gaining a bullet in his left shoulder. With a growl, he easily threw Zechs as if he were nothing more than a doll, before he was turning and heading off in search of Wufei. Une had rounded the corner then, thrown back as she was hit with both Zechs and Noin.

The three came to after a short bout of blackness, Une aware of Zechs' suffering. She looked down to her companion to see if he was alright and couldn't help the intake of breath as she eyed his right arm. It was undoubtedly broken; the fractured bone that had pierced through his skin was proof enough.

"What the fuck, Zechs?" Was all she could manage as she reached out to try and do something about his injury.

He only pushed her away; his left hand pointing off in the direction that Duo had gone.

"He's gone after Wufei." He explained through clenched teeth, the pain obviously unbearable.

"He's here for Wufei?" Noin asked, slowly lifting herself from the ground. "Some kind of gang leader you think?"

"Damn it, just go!" Zechs was soon bellowing. "You have to stop them!"

"You have to get medical attention." Une told him, nodding to his arm. "I'll radio an ambulance."

"Forget the fucking ambulance! Wufei's in trouble!"

"Zechs-" She was cut off by her recent and temporary partner.

"Stay with him, Une." Noin was ordering the other woman, running off down the hall with her gun drawn and ready. "I'll go after them."

xoxoxox

Wufei had backed away from the moment he felt Duo drawing closer and by the time he had backed against the far wall of the cell, Duo was at the bars. He held a malicious grin that had Wufei's heart racing, had his stomach twisting with dread.

"There you are." Duo worded softly, his hands wrapping about the bars. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

The boy could only wish that Duo could come no further, blocked by the metal bars of the cell, which he needed the key to unlock. Yet, he doubted that it would be a problem for the vampire. He was proven right when with a grunt of effort Duo began to pry the bars apart, bending them so that they made a hole large enough that he could slip past. It was an action that had Wufei nervously shuffling back farther, although he was as far back as he could get.

He was panting as Duo began to step in, violet eyes narrowed hungrily on him, the Nightwalker laughing all the while. Wufei's hand reached up to clutch at the crucifix that he had been given, warded against Duo, so that he couldn't harm him. At least he still had Quatre's magic, Duo couldn't touch him, so long as he had it on.

Duo's laughter turned sinister as he soon stood less than a foot from the distraught mortal, his hand reaching out to grab for Wufei. The Asian boy had waited for the magic to send Duo flying, burn him, scar him, do _something_ to him. But Duo easily took hold of his hand and removed it from the small idol, bringing the hand to his lips for a mocking kiss.

His other hand then reached for the golden cross, yanking it from Wufei's neck and causing the boy to give a startled whimper as it was roughly removed. It was then hanging in front of wide, watering eyes, before he let it drop to the ground.

"Not even your Spellbinder's magic can stop me now." Duo nearly whispered.

His hands took to cupping Wufei's face, his thumbs easily brushing the tears that had begun to fall, as he gently pulled the boy closer to him.

"You are mine."

He went to press his lips against those below his, but his neck was arching back, a scream tearing from his throat. Wufei had shouted out in alarm at the gunshot that had the vampire screaming, and his eyes looked behind them to where the female officer who had interrogated him stood.

"Freeze!"

Her order was ignored, and Wufei found himself taken in strong arms and then he was moving at an unimaginable speed. Noin could only blink at the empty spot that the two had been, not sure what to think, or where they could have gone. She got her clue as she heard the fire escape door slam shut. They were headed for the alley behind the precinct. With a frustrated growl, she was off, running past Une who had only now made it.

"I'm going to cut them off!" She screamed back. "They're headed for the alleyway!"

xoxoxox

Duo had slowed as they reached outside of the building and then stopped altogether. Wufei took that moment to try and fight his way to freedom, but he was caught in an iron grip. His efforts were useless. He froze as one of Duo's hands took hold of his hair and he was forced to look up at blood red eyes, his body locking in trepidation.

Duo smiled at that, enjoying that the young man's heart was now beating harder. It helped the blood flow much more easily. He was quite hungry, though he had hunted before coming here. He had been constantly shot at and that meant he had bled. He needed to replace it.

"Don't worry." He was reassuring the teen, who had let loose a sob of dread. "I'll make sure not to kill you. At least not yet."

Wufei couldn't help the scream that ripped from him as Duo's teeth sank into his neck. He had felt this pain before, when Trowa had bitten him just last night. A feeling of weakness followed it and his body went limp, unable to hold himself up anymore. Duo was drawing harder, he could feel it. That as well as a sudden burning sensation along his skin.

After what felt like hours, Duo pulled away, eyes violet once again. Those very eyes ran over Wufei's neck, and then his chest as a hand ripped open the boy's shirt. He was laughing as cold fingers traced over the copper-toned skin in small designs and Wufei barely lifted his head to look at the Nightwalker.

"You truly are mine." The vampire murmured. "My mortal gate."

He found the proof in the new marks that graced Wufei's skin. They were his marks, the symbols of Delinos; the spell that would break the barrier and allow him passage into the human realm. Free to walk around in his own form; free to spill as much blood as he wished.

The sound of a gun cocking pulled his attention to the end of the alley, only to find the same mortal woman who had shot him standing ready to do so again.

"Let him go!" She called in his direction.

He had had enough of her. She and the rest of these damn officers were becoming a thorn in his side.

Wufei felt Duo's intention as well as read it in the vampire's expression, and he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop him. Even if he wasn't this week, he was sure he wouldn't have been able to prevent what happened next.

Noin's eyes widened, as the woman let out a small, pained grunt. Her gun dropped to the ground as her arms went limp. Blue-violet eyes looked up to the vampire that had somehow come in front of her, before they were looking down at the hand that was buried inside of her stomach.

"No, Duo. Why?"

It would seem that Wufei's pained words were the incentive for things to move again, since time seemed to have stilled momentarily. Duo pulled his hand free, wiping off the blood that stained it on the woman's shirt, before she fell to the ground. He gazed down at her with indifference as once glimmering eyes dulled and became glassy. She was now dead and he needed to take Wufei away.

Said boy had stumbled his way to Noin's body, kneeling beside the dead woman, his body wracking with sobs. Duo watched with little interest as Wufei mourned yet another who had wanted to harm him. This mortal was truly something to behold. Nonetheless, he'd let the boy do as he pleased for the moment. Though he wouldn't let it go on too long. He wanted to make sure that Wufei was taken where no one would find him.

The sound of footsteps running closer drew Duo's attention, and he looked up to find yet another officer. It was another woman as well, and she stumbled to a stop as she took in the sight.

Une's stomach dropped as she found Noin sprawled on the ground, a large pool of blood surrounding the woman and none other than Chang Wufei kneeling beside her. Her chest tightened and her eyes were dropping tears before she could even think of stopping them. This small moment of sorrow was soon clouded by rage, and Une was aiming her gun at the young man without a second thought.

"You bastard!" It was Wufei's only warning.

The bullet struck the ground where Wufei had been kneeling, the boy having been snatched up by his supernatural savior. Une had no time to be amazed, and she aimed her gun again, shooting in hopes of getting a shot. She wasn't fast enough, as the long-haired stranger moved just in the nick of time with each round she fired. Soon enough, she was out of bullets and she could do nothing but watch as the two escaped, disappearing into the night.

She fell to her knees with a frustrated scream, throwing her gun aside, as it was now useless. She leaned forward onto her hands as she begin to finally cry, sobbing as her anger drained away and reminded her that her friend was now gone. That boy, it was his entire fault. Her body shook as her sobs grew louder, her arms trembling as she struggled to hold herself up.

She should have known to expect some casualties, those of which could easily be close to her, being that they were cops. It had always seemed too unreal; had always seemed that it was impossible, but now in front of her laid the proof. Noin was now dead and she was still having a hard time believing it.

"Not her!" She bawled pathetically. "Not now!"

xoxoxox

Zechs has been impatiently waiting for the ambulance to finish splinting his arm. They had tried to argue that he would be better off going straight to a hospital, but he had refused. He supposed it was his mixture of pain and anger that had the two EMT members nodding in agreement, but he had gotten his way. Of course, it came with the price of setting his bones back in place without any anesthesia, and he would admit that he had cried. Next time, he'd wait until he reached to the damn hospital.

As soon as he was finished, he was on his way in search of Noin and Une, promising that he would be back so that they could transfer him to the hospital. He had seen Une running to the alley earlier, and he made his way there, trying to figure out why things didn't seem so urgent anymore. He entered the dimly lit alleyway, aware that he could see Une sitting on the ground, leaning back against the wall of the building, her eyes focused up at the night sky. There was something there beside her and as he drew closer, he realized that it was a body.

He didn't have to guess whose body it was; Une's tear streaked face let him know.

"Noin."

His soften spoken voice caused Une to slowly look at him, her eyes burning up with anger and accusation. It caused him to stalk backwards a few steps, not exactly sure why she was looking at him that way. The blonde woman stood then, looking back to her friend's body, which she had tried her best to cover with her jacket.

"How?" Was Zechs' single question and Une turned to glare at him, a scowl fitting her face.

She ignored him for the moment, stalking over to her gun that she had thrown aside earlier and lifted it up to replace it in its halter. Then she was moving toward Zechs, intent on getting Noin's body out of here as soon as possible.

"You should have turned him in when you had the chance, Zechs." Was all Une was saying, as she strode past him. "You fucking had him and you kept letting him go."

"What are you talking about?" Zechs asked, turning to face her.

"You know!" The woman bellowed, spinning around to face him. "You had your chance, Zechs and you blew it! Now Noin's dead!"

Zechs couldn't believe what he was hearing. Une couldn't possibly be blaming him for this. He wasn't the one that had killed Noin. In fact, he still had absolutely no idea who had. Either way, he was sure that this was in no way his fault. Une was just irrationally pointing fingers in her moment of grief.

"Une, don't try to pin this on me." He calmly told her, watching the woman scoff.

"Had you taken action before, we would have had Chang Wufei incarcerated and this never would have happened, Zechs!" She seethed, her anger coating her words. "You should have listened to my advice!"

She started to walk away and Zechs followed after her, ready to defend himself, ready to defend Wufei. He reached her soon enough and he took hold of her arm to stop her, not the least bit surprised when she snatched away from him. Her glare was murderous as she turned to look at him and he held up his good hand in a defensive and yet submissive gesture.

"Look, I know that you're angry, but it wasn't my fault." He argued, forcing himself to sound calm, though he was quite upset. "Neither is it Wufei's. There's no way that he could have done this."

"And how do you know that, Zechs?" Une snapped. "Your fucking gut tell you?"

Well . . .yes. He wouldn't say it out loud though; he had more sense than that.

"Listen-"

"No, you listen!" Une cut him off, her voice rising even more. "Tonight Chang Wufei was nabbed from jail and then he murdered an officer. As far as I'm concerned he's fucking guilty. He is going to be tracked down and dealt with the right way. _You _are not going to have anything to do with this case; I'll make sure that you're dismissed from it. From now on, things are going to be done _my _way, and there's nothing you can do about it or say to me that will make me change my mind."

She didn't wait for him to say anything else; she merely turned and stormed off, leaving him behind with Noin's body. Zechs sighed as he let his good arm hang limply by his side, before he was looking over his shoulder to his dead friend. He knew there was no way that Wufei was responsible for this, but he also knew that there was no convincing Une otherwise. And to make matters worse, he was no longer going to be on the case, since he knew that Une would surely get her way; she always did.

With a frustrated cry, Zechs kicked at an empty trash can, before leaning against the wall to try and get his act together. He couldn't help but feel responsible. Not for Noin's death, which was making him feel guilty, but for that fact that Wufei was now in the hands of that monster. He had promised, damn it and he hadn't been able to keep it.

He'd find to a way to make things right. His eyes fell on the still body of his comrade, his throat tightening as he watched her, and his left hand clenching in anger. He'd make things right for both of them.

xoxoxox

Heero calmly looked over the small piece of paper that Sally had handed him, noting that it was part of a map and recognizing the church that it centered on. The witch had just finished giving him an extensive story, one of a demon, a mortal and a gate. It was danger, it was disaster, and it needed to be stopped.

He had been informed of Delinos, remembering the name as the one he had read aloud in one of Quatre's books. Sally had scolded him at the news, warning him that he could never speak that demon's name again. He had promised to do so without asking for reason, and had settled to listen to the rest of her tale.

The information he had gathered had disturbed him. This talk of demons was no game, especially in particular with this Delinos. He was a demon who could bring the Apocalypse, which would follow by a reign of blood. Sally and the other witches would try their best to prevent it from happening. Quatre was one of those witches; bound to protect, even if it meant death. He was not particularly pleased with that, but there was not much he could do.

Then again, he could always turn him. That would leave Quatre with no obligations to do anything, and no longer a mortal. That however, would break the oath that both this witch and his own Master seemed to follow religiously. So, much to his disappointment, he had to resist.

He looked down to the witch that slept in his arms, since he refused to let him go, and took to stroking golden locks. He could feel Sally's disapproving stare on him, but he paid her no mind. She knew, Trowa knew, hell he was sure that everyone else knew as well, that he wanted Quatre Winner. And when all this was done, he would stop at nothing to have him.

"Have you no respect for the Oath?" Sally was asking him.

He looked up at her, watching as she quietly stared, her body tensed defensively. She was preparing for just in case he lashed out, as he was aware that he had entered her territory on a bad note.

"I will have who I desire." He told her, looking down to Quatre again.

"Then you bring danger to you both." It was a warning. "If you take him, Nightwalker, then you promise him his own death. It is forbidden for a vampire to turn a witch. Death is the only fitting punishment for both sire and child. I beg that you reconsider."

Cobalt eyes were slowly looking up to her again, and Sally steadied herself against the threatening gaze. Heero would fight, he would happily die defending what he deemed was now his, and Sally felt her heart drop. Quatre had indeed found himself in trouble that he couldn't so easily get out of. She blamed herself, as she had sent the young man to Trowa, and through him he had found Heero.

"Please?" She begged, trying her best to reveal her concern. "He is like a son to me."

And indeed he was, or had become as such in the time she had known him. They had met when Quatre had come as a guest to one of their holiday celebrations. The boy had come to her and admitted that he felt as if he belonged. She had responded by asking if he wanted to, sensing magic in Quatre that she couldn't believe. From that day on, he was a part of their coven and she had chosen him, out of countless others, to learn from her personally.

She had grown quite attached to her blond-haired apprentice, and it hurt her to know that he was at risk of being taken away from her. Especially by a vampire, which if Heero had his way meant that there was no turning back for Quatre.

"Every son must leave his mother at one time." Heero easily told her, which hurt her a bit more. "It is something that you will just have to bear."

Now she was angry, trying her best to hide her grief, and she stood with a scowl directed at the young vampire. Heero felt her anger and her power as she glowered at him, his hold on Quatre tightening much more possessively.

"I forbid it, Nightwalker!" Her voice was stern and held no room for argument. "You will not lay claim to what is rightfully ours. Leave this place freely or be removed by force."

"Then Quatre leaves with me!"

Heero had been seated on the couch at one moment, and then the next he was pinned against the wall by what had to be Sally's will alone. He had thought that witches needed spells to cast magic, it was obvious that with this lot, it wasn't so.

"Though I had hoped for your help with this, I cannot risk it." Sally informed him, moving closer to Quatre.

Her hand touched the top of his head and her lips moved as she silently muttered a spell, placing Quatre under protection from the now snarling vampire.

"Return to your Master." She suggested, looking up to Heero once again and releasing him from his spell. "This mortal will never be yours."

Heero went to charge her, but was easily flung back with a simple command from Sally's lips. He went crashing through the glass window, his body falling down the four stories to end up sprawled on the pavement. He ignored the pain as he looked up at the window he had just been rudely thrown out of, watching as Sally looked down at him.

"You will not have him." She promised with finality. "I swear it on my own grave."

Her words carried to him as if she were only a few feet away and Heero growled, forcing himself to stand. Fine, if that was what she wished, he would make it so. He would have his Spellbinder, even if it meant killing her to do so.

"I will return for him." He promised her, knowing that she could hear him. "I will return for you."

Sally watched him go off, ignoring the promise of her death in his words. She would not be threatened by him. There was no way she would allow Heero to have Quatre and she only hoped that the fledgling's master would do his part to prevent it as well.

xoxoxox

Wufei grunted as he was finally released, thrown down onto a stiff mattress, which was placed on the floor. As he sat up, he decided to take in his surroundings, as it would probably help him to know just exactly where he was. It seemed to be an empty studio apartment, and from the look of things, the building they were in had long been abandoned. It was confirmed as he watched a rat disappear into a large hole in the wall. Unfortunately, it was large enough for a rat and probably a cat, to fit through. At the moment he didn't see any other forms of escape.

He felt, rather than heard, Duo come up beside him and he looked up at the vampire, who merely watched him in return. The two stayed that way for a while, before Duo was seating himself beside Wufei, the boy too scared to attempt to move. A pale hand was reaching out for him, and Wufei watched as fingers touched his chest, tracing over marks he had never seen before.

He frowned as he studied them, wanting to know just how they had gotten there. What exactly could they mean? He was gasping as Duo took hold of his shirt, completely ripping it off of his shoulders and revealing the rest of his torso. Ebony eyes widened as he realized there were more of them. On just how much of his skin did these marking lay?

"I have waited centuries for you." Duo was soon speaking, drawing Wufei's attention away from his skin.

Cold fingers pressed against him as the vampire continued to trace the symbols. Wufei felt goose bumps rise on his skin at the icy touch, and he tried to pull away, put was easily pulled forward until he was pressed against the vampire. Duo's hands ran over his skin, slowly traveling to his back, following the design that was spread out over it.

"I finally have you." Duo announced, taking hold of the back of Wufei's head and tilting it back so that he was looking down into confused ebony eyes. "You will free me."

Before Wufei could ask, his mouth was taken in a kiss, and the boy struggled against it. However, his resistance was futile, as he was held with inhuman strength and Duo was not going to let go. And Wufei wanted him to let go. He could feel his need to fight waning, especially as the hand that wasn't holding his head in place began to run teasingly across his stomach.

It would seem Duo had gotten his way, as his tongue easily entered the boy's mouth, Wufei moaning as his mouth was stroked. With the boy giving in, Duo laid him back, his hands reaching for the boy's pants. It was not his intention to take Wufei, though he would admit, the lithe body was tempting. He did however want to stare at his own symbols on that delicious skin, wanted to run his hands over it and memorize every inch of it.

His body stiffened as he realized a familiar presence; or rather the real Duo realized a familiar presence. Damn it, this couldn't happen now. Duo was already fighting him and he found he was losing to him.

Wufei watched as Duo pulled away with a jerk, the vampire letting loose a frustrated scream which lasted a few seconds before he was quiet again. Violet eyes turned back to him and Wufei stiffened. It felt as if he were looking at a stranger, though he had already met Duo before. The vampire must have felt the same way, because he looked to him with an inquisitive tilt of his head.

"Pretty little mortal."

Even the voice seemed new, though it sounded just the same. Duo's hand reached out to take hold of him by the chin, and Wufei held his breath as the vampire ran his thumb across his lips.

"What could he want with you?"

Wufei only shook his head, not exactly sure how or what to answer to that, since he had no idea what Duo. . . he. . whoever. . . wanted with him. Duo seemed satisfied enough with the answer, since he pulled away from him, looking out of the dingy colored window to the skyline of the city.

He left Wufei behind as he stood from the mattress, eager to search out his Master. He was near, he could feel it; and he was coming closer. It would seem that he was not alone, as he felt Dorothy was with him. The two were looking for him, and he figured it best to let them find him.

Treize was angrily pushing against his mind, wanting to be let free again, but he was fighting it and he was thankful that the demon had spent himself fighting. He needed to have control right now, even if it was for a short while. He headed for the door, ignoring the mortal boy behind him, though he heard him moving to probably follow.

"You stay." He ordered over his shoulder. "He will return for you."

Wufei could only nod, not sure why he was agreeing to just sit and wait, or why the vampire was suddenly talking of himself in the third person. Either way, his instinct was telling him that it was safer to do as told. With a nod of his own, Duo was gone, Wufei hearing the door being barricaded behind him. So he was stuck here until Duo returned. If he was lucky, someone was bound to come to his rescue.

xoxoxox

Duo slid the heavy metal door shut behind him, taking a lead pipe and bending it about the handle bar and latch on the adjacent wall. He was sure that Treize would want to return and deal with the mortal later, as he was sure the boy had been kept alive for a reason. He himself had his own things to do and if he was sensing things right, his Master wasn't too far away.

T.B.C.

Okay, I finished this chapter and I hope you liked it. I figured I owed you a speedy update, so here you go. I will try my best on the following chapter and please leave me some reviews. Even if it's just something like "blah", I'll be happy. Until next time then.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Gundam Wing characters, nor do I own anything associated with the show. Even though it pains me to have to remind not only you but myself, it is neccessary so as to avoid any legal action against me.

Author's Note: You'll never believe what happened to me. I finally got the soft-cover book of Tanya Huff's series (Smoke and Ashes) and you'll never believe what the plot line of the story is. . . a mortal Demongate. I was like. . . great, now everyone will accuse me of stealing Tanya Huff's idea. Though, luckily enough for me, there are major differences. Anywhatever, let me move on before I never shut up.

xoxoxox

Trowa knew that Dorothy was following him, but he didn't want to slow down so that she could catch up. He couldn't fight the urge to find the one thing he had longed for and hoped to find it again after centuries of being parted. Now that his lost fledgling had been found again, he couldn't help but rush to find him.

He had been mad with him, yes; however his guilt for what he had done ate away at him.

He couldn't forget how he had acted that night, couldn't forget just how broken Duo had seemed after he had turned him away, threatening him harm if he was ever to show his face again. He remembered how cold his words were, how enraged he had been at that particular point in time, and he also remembered how unwilling he had been to even reconsider what had been done or what he was doing at that moment.

He had been angry. He was _still _angry. However, the need to see his first born child was far too strong. Over a hundred years of separation would do such a thing.

He came to a stop on the roof of a building, and he realized that Duo was indeed close by. That unmistakable aura. . . it was passion, it was strength, it was an ever-burning fire; it was Duo.

And he was calling to him. He could feel his fledging calling to him and he didn't have time to think of his actions. Trowa only moved forward, unaware that Dorothy had finally caught up to him and stood behind him. Her forked eyes frowned as she let her senses read their surroundings, and watched as Trowa began to move toward the door that would lead them to the stairs for the other floor.

Her mouth opened to call to him, but he was gone before she could even start. She let out a silent huff, a bit exasperated. Something felt wrong. Well, not so much wrong as it just felt as if they should be cautious. It would seem that Duo wasn't alone, and whatever was with him was very dangerous.

She was aware of a human presence not too far away, and she paused for a moment, looking to the other roof entrance in curiosity. There was something vaguely attracting about the mortal down those stairs, and she was tempted to go and see just why that was. It felt like magic and it seemed as if there was blood; valuable blood. A smirk took her lips as she stepped toward the door, ready to go down the stairs. However, the sudden flare of aura that marked Trowa had her turning back to the door the vampire had gone through and rushing off to go and find him.

He had most likely already found him. Her speed increased to get her there as fast as she was able. She wanted to be a part of this little reunion, too.

xoxoxox

Trowa rushed throughout the top floor, searching behind locked doors and in empty rooms. His search was desperate, as doors were torn off of their hinges, and whatever furniture that had been left behind was destroyed as they were flung out of his way.

Where could he be? He knew that he was there! He _had _to be there! His search became much more frantic as each floor he went down turned out to be empty. And he was so close; he could feel it!

The door to the eighth floor apartment splintered as he rushed into it, half of it tearing away completely and the rest hanging precariously from the top hinge. The banged-vampire ignored it and stormed inside, sharp green eyes narrowing in the darkness as he looked around.

There was a chance that Duo wasn't here either, but it didn't hurt to try. He rushed in and headed straight for the bedroom, which was still furnished, as if the owner had left in a hurry and had no time to drag along furniture. His eyes focused on the heavily dust-covered bed, narrowing in on the sign that fingers had disturbed it, leaving four streaks in the caked on dust.

He stepped forward, his hands taking what he assumed was the same path as the previous fingers had, and his fist clenched a moment after. Where was he?

"Where are you, la mia piccola morte?"

Green eyes widened at the unmistakable aura, one that had appeared suddenly behind him, and for a moment Trowa was hesitant to turn around. He managed to do so slowly, the ancient vampire still a bit unsure if this was truly happening.

And when violet eyes that he had dreamed of for centuries smiled back at him, he knew that it was.

"Master."

The word was soft spoken, and sent a wave of longing throughout Trowa's immortal body. In front of him was the one Nightwalker that he vowed he would forever have, and he was frozen to his spot. Unable to move toward his returned fledgling, Trowa opted for studying the timeless face from afar.

It was to be expected that Duo would look the same as he had all those years ago, but Trowa couldn't help but check. He didn't want anything of Duo to have been changed; he wanted the braided vampire to look as he had the last time he had saw him.

His heart wrenched painfully at the memory of a broken and begging Duo on the cemetery floor, and he looked away momentarily as guilt weighed in him heavily. He wished that moment had never happened, but he also knew that there was not much he could have done, or could still do for that matter.

What did matter was that he now had Duo before him, again. He would not let himself waste the opportunity that was now presented to him. Although, he was still wary if he should apologize for what he had done. As much as he had regretted it, it had been punishment for what Duo had attempted.

Then again, perhaps it had been too harsh? If he apologized, would Duo forgive him? He didn't think that he forgave the braided Nightwalker for what he'd done. Heero was, after all, just as precious to him as Duo had been; and still was.

Violet eyes shimmered in the dim lighting provided by the outside streetlight, and Trowa felt himself pulled deeper into a complete feeling of desire. His heart was aching the longer he held himself apart from his fledgling. Though they were probably mere feet away, the distance between them seemed far longer and harder to cross.

"Master."

Duo called again, his step toward Trowa tentative and cautious, his eyes brimming with emotions that Trowa had yet to decipher. At first, Trowa had stepped back, his mind still unsure. Duo had paused in his step, his violet eyes dimming as his master backed away from him.

Silence fell between them, jade staring back into amethyst, and neither sure if to take the first step or not. A few moments passed, before Duo looked away, his eyes downcast and his shoulders slumping. Trowa could read that Duo had taken his hesitance as rejection, and he wanted to let his fledging know that it was nothing of the sort. Carefully, he took the first few steps toward the braided vampire, the distance between them shrinking until he came to stop nearly a foot away from him.

His right hand lifted, reaching forward and gently grasping Duo by his chin, but the younger vamp pulled his face away. Trowa let him, but he reached again, knowing already that Duo could be easily upset. This time when he reached, Duo slapped his hand away, the violet-eyed Nightwalker turning to glare at him as he began to back away. Trowa wasn't swayed, as he had been and still was used to Duo's tantrums, and was happy to see that he was still the same.

The elder vampire only stepped forward to keep Duo from distancing himself, and both arms reached out to grab his fledging by the shoulders. Duo objected, growling as he twisted free, only to be held onto again. His hand reached out, ready to strike, but he was caught by the wrist mere inches from Trowa's face.

"Let go of me!"

"No." Trowa's voice was even, whereas Duo was shouting.

"I said let go!"

"I refuse."

With another growl of frustration, Duo tried to fight harder, but he knew himself that he really didn't want to fight this. He was still hurting from the cruel exile his Master had given him, but he also wanted nothing more than to feel those arms wrapped about him, to be held close to his lover and father once more.

"La mia piccola morte."

"No!" Duo objected, managing to push himself away. "Don't you dare!"

He would have escaped, but Trowa was still faster than he was, and in an instant he was pressed against a familiar body. In another, his lips had been trapped, and his breath had been taken, all from a kiss that he had not shared for nearly two hundred years. His muscles tensed, as he wanted to push away, but his heart wouldn't let him. He did manage to turn his head away, ending their kiss abruptly, but not quite stopping the contact between them.

Trowa didn't mind as Duo's lips parted from his, and he only smiled, as he began to nuzzle the pale neck that he had bitten into on so many occasions. He could feel as Duo's body began to tremble, and he let his fingers travel a well tread path over Duo's body, familiarizing himself with it once again.

Duo could barely move, as a touch he hadn't known he'd yearned for was felt again, his blood singing as Trowa's hands reawakened a fire that had laid dormant for so long. Then those wretched words were spoken again, a mere whispered breath spoken against his lips, as Trowa turned his first born to look into those violet orbs again.

"La mia piccola morte.", Duo couldn't help but submit, his gasp not going unheard, "Come l'ho mancata, il mio amore.(1)"

Duo's frustrated sob caused Trowa to pull him closer, and the braided vampire latched on eagerly. He could feel Treize clawing at the back of his mind, trying to gain back his control over his body, and Duo wanted to fight it. He wanted at least one last moment with his sire, one last moment to enjoy his embrace; even one last kiss.

He slowly lifted his head, amethyst eyes looking up into sharp green, his heart clenching as he realized just what he had lost and may never see again. He still felt anger for the one who held him now; he still had every reason to spite him, but his heart was aching for him. He knew that it was his own fault that Trowa had cast him out all those years ago, but his stubborn pride would never have him admit to it.

"Tell me." His voice was small, and his eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he looked up at his sire. "Let me hear you say it, even if one last time."

Trowa could only frown, and he opened his mouth to question, but Duo gently rested his fingers over his lips to stop him.

"No, I won't hear anything else!" The younger vampire objected. "Just what I want to hear! Now, say it! Tell me that you love me!"

Was that what he wanted? Was that all he was demanding? Trowa let one of his hands rise to cup Duo's face, his thumb gently caressing a moist cheek; his young one had started to cry.

"L'amo, la mia piccola morte.(2)" The words were said without any hesitation. "I will never stop loving you."

Duo's relieved laugh followed his words, and Trowa wiped away the tears that continued to run down his vampiric son's face. He wanted to question what Duo had meant by one last time. He tried his best to ignore it as he pulled his first in for another kiss, their mouths meshing in a dance of passion they hadn't shared for quite some time. They parted after a moment or two, with Duo's head resting against Trowa's shoulder, and the taller Nightwalker burying his nose into chestnut-colored locks.

"I love you." Trowa repeated for good measure.

He was unaware of the small change in Duo's eyes, but his body did sense a strange aura, one that felt of ancient magic; evil magic.

"Do you now?"

Duo's question had him baffled, but his confusion was pushed aside as pain shot through his torso, Trowa's cry tearing free from his throat as claws buried deep inside of his back. He grunted in pain as he was lifted off of the floor, and his eyes then looked to his fledging. . . no this wasn't his fledgling at all. Duo was gone, and in his place, something sinister resided.

"You should have never let him go." A voice he knew, and yet didn't recognize, told him. "I'll never give him back to you. He's mine!"

"Trowa!"

The new voice, obviously female, was Dorothy's. He didn't have a chance to look for her, however. He was flung across the room, crashing into and passing through the drywall of the apartment. He landed in the cluttered and somewhat barren living room, his breath short and his new wounds bleeding profusely. He had been wounded, and if he didn't attempt to heal himself, he would lose more than just his blood.

He struggled to sit up, his green eyes looking to watch as Duo stepped out into the living room through the hole that he had made in the wall. This was most definitely not _his _Duo? What had happened to his little one?

"Who are you?" He demanded weakly, as he was nearly out of breath. "What have you done with him!"

The mysterious new character only laughed, sauntering closer to the wounded Nightwalker on the floor, as his violet eyes darkened to a color that was nearly black.

"I've taken him from you." It was meant to be taunting. "And there is no way that I'll ever let you see him again. Your student, your lover. . . your first born. . . is now mine."

The creature with Duo's face now hovered over Trowa, who had barely moved since he had been thrown, dark eyes glaring down maliciously at the banged vampire. Trowa grunted in pain as a boot clad foot came crashing down on top of his sternum, the bones cracking and piercing into his lungs, causing him to cough up blood. He couldn't move, as he had been successfully pinned to the floor, and his confused green eyes looked up to the stranger with his fledgling's face.

"Pathetic Nightwalker." The voice was no longer Duo's, nor were those soulless eyes. "I'll make you regret ever betraying him!"

Eyes of endless black looked toward a broken window, a fanged grin breaking over his lips as he studied the sharp glass that resembled a make-shift guillotine. He felt the female vampire coming toward him, intent on defending her companion, but he easily swatted her away. She was sent through the wall she had jumped through just moments ago, and once again ignored altogether.

Duo bent to grab Trowa by the neck of his shirt, before he was dragging him toward the window. He would not allow this menace to get in the way. He had taken Duo when this bastard had thrown him away; Duo was his now and his alone! He'd make sure that Trowa would never have him again.

"I'll make sure he'll always be mine."

xoxoxox

Quatre had no idea that he had been unconscious, that is, not until he finally opened his eyes. He was greeted by the sights of a recognizable ceiling, and he had had the courtesy of lying on this couch once before. He was somewhere familiar, and the thought of that put him at ease.

However, it left as his body sensed that something drastic had happened. Large amounts of magic had been used, and wards stronger than those that were usually used had been set up. What on earth was going on?

"Thank the Goddess that you're finally up."

Sally came into view a few moments after her words, and Quatre couldn't help but frown up at her. Her eyes looked weary and her body was pulled tight with obvious tension. Something was wrong. . . something had happened.

"Sally?" He tried to sit up, but a gentle hand on his shoulder kept him lying down. "What happened?"

The coven leader tried her best to smile, but it was shaky and did nothing to convince Quatre that things had gone well. He could barely remember how or why he had ended up on Sally's couch. The last thing to run through his mind, was settling down with Sally to cast a Finding spell; anything after that was all a blank.

"You found the door, Quatre."

The door?

His eyes widened as everything seemed to come back to him in a rushing wave, and he sat up, regardless of his teacher's demand that he stay put.

"The door." He muttered, his head reeling from his fast movement. "We have to get to it."

Sally stopped him before he could further move, and her stern eyes stared back at him, forbidding him to move without words. Quatre obeyed, but did not lie back down; instead he shifted so that his feet touched the floor and his head leaned back against the couch.

"You must rest first." Sally insisted, her palm resting against the blond's forehead. "You're body has endured so much. You are in need of healing."

Quatre only sighed, and let his eyes slide closed, knowing that Sally would have her way even if he argued against her decision. The demon's door; he had found it. And now, he and the other witches would make sure it was never opened. They had to make sure that the key was never found; this human sacrifice. . . the mortal gate.

"We found the door." He murmured tiredly, his sea-colored eyes barely opening. "But we still need the key. It was what we were searching for at the start."

Sally shushed him as she stood from the couch, walking to her fireplace, where a small cauldron was set. Yes, it was a tad bit cliché, but it was the best she could do on short notice. Besides, a cauldron seemed to boil and brew things a lot better than these modern-aged pots.

"The door is good enough." Sally told him, using a ladle to stir the contents of her black pot.

She deemed it done, and returned to her desk to pick up a mug, before returning to the fireside. The steaming liquid was poured into the cup, and then she was by Quatre's side again, handing the young witch the now warm mug.

"Drink this." She insisted, seating herself beside her apprentice. "It will help."

"Thank you."

The room fell silent, as Quatre obediently sipped what he could only guess was a brewed potion, and Sally merely watched him. Her face was fitted with worry and her eyes were now distraught. What could possibly have her in such a state?

"Sally."

The sound of his voice startled her and the pig-tailed woman looked to him, her blue eyes failing at hiding everything she meant to.

"Are you all right?" Quatre was worried.

He had every right to be. She was supposed to be the coven's support, and here she was, about near ready to fall apart. She had been struck with some very hard mental and emotional blows tonight, and on top of that, she had to figure out some way to save the world from an apocalypse. She had more than just the world on her shoulders.

"Are you all right?"

The question was repeated, and Sally merely shrugged, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to tell the truth either. The last thing she needed was Quatre worrying over her. She needed him focused on trying to find a way to find the mortal gate.

"We'll have to set up guard soon." Changing the subject was the best way to avoid any further concern on Quatre's part. "Though it will be difficult. We'll be dealing with Catholics and we know how they feel about witches."

Done with the potion, Quatre rested the mug down on the side table by the couch, before he was slowly standing. He needed to stretch out his muscles; they were feeling a bit stiff and sore. Only the God and Goddess knew what he had gone through, since Sally seemed to be in a secretive mood.

"They'll have to help us." Quatre told her with confidence. "We'll wear them down until they give in."

Sally could only scoff, her lips holding a tired smirk, as she stared blankly ahead of her. Quatre watched her, wondering just what could be on her mind. She had never been this distracted before. This could only mean that it was something that was truly bothering her.

"Perhaps, we should stop by the cathedral in the morning?" Quatre suggested, wanting to keep their conversation going. "The sooner we get them to agree, the sooner we'll be able to begin guarding that door. You and I have some work ahead of us."

"No."

Quatre had been in the process of turning away, but he was stopped short by Sally's word, his face frowning as he looked back toward her.

"What do you mean by 'no'?" He questioned, finally catching Sally's full attention.

"I won't allow you to guard by the door." Her words confused him even further, but Quatre's shock kept him silent. "I want you here, where I need you. . . where I want you to be."

"Sally-"

"I need you here." She repeated firmly, leaving no room for argument. "I need you to find the key."

Quatre didn't want to agree, but he was nodding his head anyway, as Sally made it quite clear that he would not be allowed anywhere near the doorway. He had wanted to be part of that, but he supposed that being the hunter from afar would have to suffice. Besides, he had seen enough action in the past few days.

"We'd still be short." He reminded her, his mind going back to the subject at hand. "We've got very few witches powerful enough to guard against a demon as strong as this one."

Sally silently contemplated Quatre's words, her hand rising to her mouth so that she could bite on her nails in anxiety. It was true that they had too few witches who had as much experience as she did, or power that came close to Quatre's. There was always the option of contacting other covens and asking for their assistance. After all, all witches had a duty to use their magic to help in anyway. Even the few covens that used their witchcraft for malicious intention could not refuse to aid them, since the evil they worshipped would spare no one.

"I see we have a dilemma." Sally finally spoke, taking Quatre's previous position on the couch. "It will take time to contact other covens, time for them to respond and if they choose to help us, it will take time for them to come; and time is what we do not have. Yule is tomorrow, and by Wiccan law, major spells cannot be cast, save the few that coincide with the holiday.(3) That leaves us, in all reality, only four days to do much of anything, and that is too little to gather the amount of witches that we need. We'll have to manage on our own."

The next question that came from Quatre's mouth had Sally looking at the young witch with a mixture of emotions in her blue eyes, and her memory flashed of the events that happened an hour or so before Quatre had woken up.

"What about Trowa?" The blond asked her, oblivious to the turmoil his single question was causing her. "A vampire must be of some use in all this."

"I forbid it."

The slow spoken words caused Quatre to become baffled. How on earth could Sally forbid it? What exactly did she forbid; asking for the help or the help in general?

"I don't understand." He so very wanted to understand.

He froze as Sally turned her gaze on him, her eyes glaring with anger, jealousy, and oddly enough hurt. What on earth was going on?

"Sally?"

"The name Trowa Barton shall never be spoken of inside of these walls again. As clan leader, I am forbidding any form of contact with that particular Nightwalker, or any of his children. Those who go against my word will have to deal with severe punishment, which I shall personally deliver. Am I clear?"

Unfortunately, she was not. In fact, Quatre was far more confused than he had been.

"I should have never let you go." Sally began ranting, standing from her couch to storm over to the still bubbling cauldron. "I should have never given you the chance to meet him, or that blasted child of his!"

Child? Quatre's eyes widened as he realized who Sally was talking about, and he could only stare in wonder as Sally began to angrily tidy her office. Had Heero come here? For him?

"Heero . . . he was here."

It was a statement, though he wanted it to be asked as a question. He got an answer all the same, as Sally turned to fix burning eyes on him, with a gaze so intense it caused him to stumble back. What on earth had happened between Heero and Sally? Had the Nightwalker attacked her, or endangered any other witches?

"That name will never be spoken here, again." Sally's voice was a low and dangerous tone. "And _you _are forbidden from ever going near _any _creature of the Undead, so long as _I _am coven leader. Is that understood?"

"Sally-"

"Is that understood!"

The bellowed words put him to silence, and Quatre could only stare at his teacher in wide-eyed disbelief, not sure why she was in such a state. It made him wonder if he himself had done something wrong. He found it best not to ask her anything just yet. He would wait until after she had calmed down. For now, he only nodded his head to convey that he understood her orders, even though he didn't agree with them.

"Good. Now I'll find Kendra and bring her back here. The both of you will look for the key."

As she headed for the office door, Quatre glanced down at his wristwatch for the time, and sea-colored eyes widened in what came close to absolute horror. It was already closing in on midnight; how long had he been out? Wufei was in danger being out at night. He needed to go and find him.

"Sally, I can't stay." He called after her.

He was ignored, as the woman continued to move towards the door.

"I have to get to Wufei. My friend, he's in danger." He tried to explain to her, but it was no use.

Sally continued to ignore him, and she crossed the threshold of her office door, not even bothering to glance back at the blond-haired witch. Quatre took to following her, rushing off behind the older woman, ready to plead his case. However, he was flung back as he tried to pass through the doorway, landing none too gently one the hardwood floor.

Groaning in pain, Quatre slowly lifted himself, so that he could look up at the door to where Sally now stood staring back at him. Her face was blank, devoid of any of the emotion she had shown just earlier, her arms crossed over her chest. In front of her was the unmistakable shimmer of a ward rippling across the doorway, before it settled and went invisible again. She had put up a ward . . . against him?

"Sally-"

"I can't let any harm come to you, Quatre." Was all Sally told him. "I won't let that monster take you from me. You're mine to teach."

"What are you saying?" Quatre couldn't help the tremble in his voice.

He was a bit scared, to say the least, as his own leader had seemed to crack.

"It's forbidden." She began, repeating her earlier words. "The Oath says that he cannot have you, and I will make sure that he never will."

Quatre could only stare at her, dumbfounded, as she spoke to him. Was he really going to be kept prisoner here? She couldn't . . . she wouldn't really. . . would she?

Sally turned again, beginning to walk away and leaving Quatre behind in the empty office.

"You shall stay here." She told him, her face fading as she grew farther away, "For as long as I must keep you."

She really was going to keep him trapped here. She couldn't do this to him. He needed to get to Wufei; the boy needed him.

"Sally." His voice wasn't loud enough to carry down the hall, and if it was, the female witch wasn't responding to him. "Sally!"

He slumped in defeat when she neither returned nor called back to him; it was obvious that she would do as she wanted, regardless if Quatre objected or not. He didn't know what else to do, now that he was stuck here, so Quatre merely laid down on the wooden floor. He had to think of some way for him to escape. He'll have to do it quickly; he was sure that he didn't have much time.

xoxoxox

Zechs banged his head against his locker for the last time, figuring that it wasn't worth getting a huge knot on his forehead, though he couldn't help it. Une worked pretty damn fast, as the chief had called him in an hour after Noin's body had been taken to the morgue, and in less time had him stripped of his gun and badge for temporary leave.

With his forehead resting against the metal door of the locker, Zechs took a deep breath, before he slowly released it, hoping to calm himself. This was the first time that he had ever gotten a case taken away from him, and he was pretty upset over it. He could easily blame himself, since in truth it was somewhat his fault, but it was easier to find a scapegoat. He just had to look for one. Until then, he would take his anger out on his forehead, since he had started banging his head against the locker again.

"You're still here?"

He froze at the female voice, his shoulders tensing and bunching, as she was the last person he wanted to end his night with seeing. He straightened himself, and took to opening his locker, randomly pulling out what was in there and stuffing it haphazardly into a duffel bag on the bench. He was trying to do so as best as he could, being that he could only use one arm at the moment. He wouldn't be coming back for quite a while, so there was no use in keeping anything of his here.

He felt that she was staring at him, but he did his best to ignore it; he just wanted to get out of here as soon as he was able. He had tried pleading with the chief to let him keep his case, but Une had been there to block every fucking move he tried. She had been serious about taking over the case, and now that she had gotten her way, what the fuck did she want from him?

"While you're on leave, just be sure not to do anything stupid." She told him, as he finished packing his bag. "Again."

The locker slammed closed, hard enough that the lockers on either side of it rattled, and Zechs turned razor, ice-blue eyes to glare in her direction. This woman was pushing it, and friend or not, Zechs wouldn't tolerate her bitchiness for much longer.

"Don't you have a case to solve?" He asked her, pushing past her so that he could storm out of the locker room.

"I'm serious, Zechs." Une called to him, turning to watch him walk off. "You step one foot near this place-"

"Get off your fucking high horse, Une!" Zechs turned back to her, his glower just as menacing as hers had been a few hours earlier. "You wanted your revenge for Noin, and you fucking got it, so don't push it! I can get ugly, too. And just trust me, you wouldn't like it."

He began to leave once again, but Une's words had him spinning back to face her.

"We had him-"

"Yeah, well if we had put him in jail, wouldn't that guy had just come and get him all the same?" He snapped at her, cutting her off. "Noin chose to go after them! She knew the risks, she understood that she could die in the line of duty, and it was her own decision to go out there!"

"You were the one who insisted that someone go after Wufei!" Une was screaming back, her eyes watering.

"Don't try to pin Noin's death on me! You're not the only one that's hurting; she was my friend, too!" Their screaming was getting louder. "She had a choice to say no, but she willingly went on her own! I would have fucking gone on my own, but you wanted me to stay put since I was hurt! I'm sorry that I didn't die in her place! That's what you have rather it been, right?"

He didn't bother to wait and see if Une had anything else to say, he merely turned and started to leave again.

"If anyone needs me, tell them to go fuck themselves." Zechs worded to anyone who was listening, as other cops had come to see what was going on, "I'm going home."

xoxoxox

At least, he had wanted to go home. However, Zechs found himself aimlessly wandering. He had reached his apartment complex and had parked his car in the lot, but he had ended up walking right past the building entrance. He didn't know how long he had been walking, but he knew that he was far from home, and he was cold. He glanced up at the night sky, his eyes catching the first few flakes of snow that began to flutter down.

He hated winter, but tonight he actually welcomed the cold. It numbed him, and that was what he felt he needed to be right now. Too much had happened tonight, and he didn't want to think back on it all, at least not yet. He sighed as he let his eyes wander on his surroundings. He had walked to a part of the city that held a few abandoned buildings, and he stared up at the boarded or empty windows, trying to catch a glimpse of any squatters that were using the barren apartments as shelters.

He did catch a fire burning in one, with two or three people gathered around the trash can, but it was what he found in the building across the street that had his blood grow as cold as the air around him.

"It can't be."

It had to be; there was no mistaking that face. It was the braided stranger from a few nights ago, and the one he had caught in a still shot with his TiVo. What the hell was he doing up there?

He watched him drag a body closer to the window and positioning it so that its head was hanging over the sill. Was he going to throw a body out of it? Zechs frowned as he watched said body move, an arm reaching up to grab at its offender before it was easily swatted away.

"That's no body." Zechs mumbled to himself, instincts kicking in. "That guy's still alive."

He was shooting across the street without so much of a second thought, bursting through the broken front door and heading for the stairs. He had to get there before the man could push him through. He stumbled to a halt as he did reach the stairs, or at least, what would have been stairs if the hadn't fallen through.

"Damn it." He swore, looking at the gaping hole that led straight down into the basement.

He had to find another way.

"The fire escape." He told himself, before turning to head back the way he came.

He was sure that with the falling slow, it would be hazardous, but he had to deal with it. Someone's life was on the line, and even though he was off duty, the cop in him was urging him to play the hero; broken arm be damned. He only hoped that he would get there in time.

xoxoxox

Wufei hissed in pain as he cradled his leg. He had been kicking at the boards of a window for quite some time now, and he had only managed to kick one free. He wouldn't give up though. There was no way that he was going to sit her and wait for Duo to return for him. He had no idea what the vampire had been talking about, when he said that Wufei was his, but the Chinese youth wasn't going to wait around to be kept.

He had had enough of vampires and witches. Now he just wanted everything to return to normal, and in order to start that, he'd have to get free. He took a deep breath, and stood from the floor where he had sat to ease his pain, so as to ready himself to kick at the boards again.

He had managed to get a crack in another, and all he really needed was one more; he could slip through the space afterwards. With a grunt of effort, he lifted his leg and hit it hard against the board; and luckily enough, he managed to break through. With a relieved laugh, Wufei stepped forward to look outside, catching the snow that was now falling. He'd complain about it later, at the moment, he was trying to escape.

He realized that he was up high . . . very high. It could have been a problem for him; however, he had chosen the window with the fire escape, out of pure luck. He easily squeezed his way through the remaining boards, and headed for the stairs, careful so as not to lose his footing on the now slippery surface.

He paused on his way down, ebony eyes looking up at the next few stories of the building. Something was calling him up there. It was something he felt connected to; he couldn't help but answer it. Turning back, he headed for the stars that would lead him up and began to climb them. He'd probably kick himself later for not trying to escape, but he couldn't ignore this, whatever _this _was.

xoxoxox

Violet eyes glared down at the vampire, who had begun trying to fight him as he was dragged toward the window, but Duo was able to subdue him. A solid hit to the stomach, with demonic strength backing it, had Trowa coughing up even more blood as internal organs ruptured. Immortality made him able to experience the pain without death, and it was torturous. He could barely move, and he finally went limp, listening to Duo laugh beneath his breath.

He grabbed the vampire by the hair to drag him the rest of the way, and he placed him so that his head was hanging just outside of the window. He swatted away Trowa's arm that had reached for him, in hopes of fighting a bit longer. It was sickening, and sad, how the Nightwalker continued to struggle. His end was inevitable; nothing would stop him from getting rid of the one thing to stand in his way of Duo. With a rough grip on Trowa's chin, Duo tilted the banged vamp's head back, so that the pale neck was arched and bared; ready and waiting for the sharp glass to slice through it.

Green eyes watched as Duo lifted his hands, resting it on the frame of the window, and readying to bring it down on the vampire's bared throat. He wanted to fight, but he could barely move; it was a miracle he had managed to lift his arm. He supposed that this was how he was going to die; that was what he had wanted from the start, wasn't it? Though he had wanted to say goodbye to his other fledgling one last time, had wanted to kiss Dorothy again, and leave some of his fortune in Wesley's name. Things weren't turning out as he had expected; then again, he hadn't really been thinking of the chance that Duo would come back to kill him.

He had wronged the young vampire, as much as Duo had wronged him, and he supposed that it was a fitting punishment.

"La mia piccola morte." The whispered and half gurgled words, fell from have smirking lips.

Duo eyes flashed for a second, returning to those he recognized, and the braided vampire gasped as he pulled his hands away from the window.

"Master?" Duo's low voice was laced with complete horror and disbelief at the sight before him. "No. What has he done to you!"

Then his eyes wrung shut, as a scream left his throat, almost as if he was fighting against something inside of him. When his eyes opened again, it was those angry eyes of a stranger, and Trowa had a feeling that this would be the eyes he saw last as he took his last breath.

Duo's hands rested against the window again, and Trowa braced himself for the feeling of the glass biting into his skin.

"No!"

It would seem that only now Dorothy had managed to gain her senses and return to the scene. What she found, she could never allow to happen; she wouldn't allow it to.

"Don't do it, Duo!"

She had rushed over to them, but was easily caught by the throat in a grip of strength she had never known her little devil to have. As violet eyes darkened to black, it was then she realized that this was most definitely not her young one. The hand about her neck tightened, and Dorothy couldn't even gasp. The most she could do was claw at said hand, and even that seemed to have no effect.

"When I'm done with him." Duo began, lifting her so that she was hanging above the floor. "I'll finish you as well."

The sound of a door opening distracted him, and he looked, only to have his eyes widen in bafflement. How on earth had he gotten here? He was sure that he had been locked in.

"Wufei."

At the call of his name, Wufei turned in the direction it had come from, and was unable to move at what he caught sight of. What on earth were Trowa and Dorothy doing here? What was Duo planning on doing?

"No!" He was objecting as he realized just what he meant to do. "Don't do it!"

Duo wanted to go after his prize, but he couldn't just yet, he had to take care of a few things first. He discarded Dorothy as if she was nothing more than a rag doll, flinging her aside and through another wall, so that his hand could join the other on the window.

Wufei panicked, as he realized how Duo meant to kill Trowa, and he knew that he had to stop him; he just didn't know how. His eyes found the long piece of broken pipe, and he acted before he could completely come to the decision. Although Trowa had nearly killed him, he couldn't let the vampire die this way; not after he had read those few glimpses of Trowa's life. This picture was wrong; the older Nightwalker didn't deserve to be murdered by his own child.

He wasn't sure if this was going to work, but it was best that he try; he had to do _something_.

Duo was just about to slam the window down, when he stopped short, his eyes widening as the glass he was going to use as a blade shattered before his eyes. It had been broken. The only question was; how? Confusion danced across Duo's face as he glanced down, his frown deepening as he looked at the bloody pipe that now protruded through his abdomen.

He looked back over his shoulder, to where Wufei stood holding the other end that had been driven through his back. He was in complete disbelief. This mortal was rightfully his, and here he was, defying him. Well, he couldn't be all that shocked. There were other mortal gates that had defied him, in fact all of them had, he had never had one willing to die so that he could be set free.

None the less, Wufei had seemed to be the most obedient, but now . . . well, it was obvious that he had assumed wrong.

Duo stepped back, and Wufei shuffled away, finally letting go of the metal pipe. He couldn't help it as his body shook, or the racing of his heart as the chestnut-locked vampire turned to face him. The way that Duo looked so . . .betrayed. . . he was beginning to feel as if he should apologize.

"You will pay dearly for that." The threatening words sent a bout of fear down Wufei's spine.

Well in that case. . .

With a cry, Wufei charged forward, his hands pushing against Duo before he threw his entire body weight against him. Duo could only stare in shock, as he was pushed out of the window, his body falling rapidly toward the ground. He had been on the eighth floor; when he finally reached the ground, it was going to be very painful.

Wufei stood watching out of the window, his body trembling as he looked down at the vampire now sprawled against the concrete. Had it been anyone else, he was sure that the street would have looked very messy. As it was, Duo had fallen neatly, but it was obvious that he was hurting. The young Chinese teen could also tell that he was _very _unhappy.

He glanced away to look at Trowa and Dorothy, who had managed to find the strength to reach them, to see if they were alright. Trowa seemed to be in as much pain as Duo was, and Dorothy was nothing more than a little bruised. She was busy doting over Trowa, pulling him from the window so that he was lying flat against the floor, and speaking to him in Italian. Wufei turned away from them to look back down at Duo, only to find the Nightwalker gone, the only thing left behind the indent in the sidewalk he had made from his fall.

_Know this, Wufei. I shall return for you. You will be mine._

Wufei couldn't stop the shiver that ran over his body, and he stepped away from the window, though it seemed that Duo had retreated for now. He probably needed to heal himself and save up his strength. That thought made him look to Trowa, who looked far too pale, even for a vampire.

"Il mio amore." Dorothy was calling to him, her voice heavy with sorrow and fear. "Please, stay with us. Bear with the pain and let me heal you."

Wufei saw her lift her wrist to her lips, and he was over there as fast as he was able, clamping his hand over it to stop her. Her eyes looked to him in shock, and he merely shook his head to tell her that he wouldn't let her.

"Save your strength." Wufei told her. "You're far too hurt to help him this way."

"Let go of me mortal!" She demanded, her fangs bared so as to frighten him.

It was working, but Wufei was strong-willed to have his way. He refused to let her go.

"He won't die." He reminded her. "He's just in pain; a lot of pain. You have to find help. I'll stay with him."

Dorothy shook her head, ready to argue against the dark-haired human; just who did he think he was?

"He needs something to hold him-"

"Then I'll do it!" Wufei interrupted her. "I'll let him feed from me . . . just enough to numb the pain."

Dorothy was ready to object, but she knew that the boy had a point. She was the faster of the two, and she needed her blood for her own strength. She wasn't sure that Wufei would be alright, but she had to go for help as soon as was possible, or Trowa would continue to suffer.

"Your Spellbinder, where can I find him?"

Wufei could only shrug at her question, since he had no idea where Quatre could be at the moment. When they had last parted at Wufei's apartment, Quatre had never announced his destination; he could be anywhere.

"No matter, I shall find him before dawn." Dorothy's confidence was to be admired.

"What if you don't?" Wufei asked her.

The blond vampiress stopped short of leaving out the window, to look back at Wufei who was now knelt beside Trowa, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt to bare his wrist. It seemed that he _was _going to let Trowa feed from him. She could only hope that the vampire would know when to stop; she didn't need the guilt of Wufei's death adding to the burdens that already racked Trowa's mind.

"Then you shall have to do some hunting for him, now won't you?"

With that she was gone, and Wufei was left with a heavily breathing Trowa, who seemed to be in and out of consciousness. He looked down to his wrist and decided that it was now or never. His hand reached for a piece of broken glass, that had come from the smashed window, the young Asian taking a deep breath as he rested it against the skin of his wrist.

It was amazing what he was willing to do just to help this Undead creature, but then again, he felt the need to. Something was telling him that he would need Trowa, and lately he found it best to listen to his gut feelings. He bit his tongue as he pulled the glass along the length of his wrist, his hand clenching at the sharp pain. He would have to ignore it, as he was sure when Trowa bit into him, it was going to hurt far worse.

"Alright, Trowa." Wufei muttered, dropping the piece of glass and holding out his wrist. "I can't give you much, so you'll have to stop when I say, okay?"

He wasn't sure if Trowa had heard him or not, and he could only hope that he had. With another deep breath, Wufei slowly let his wrist touch against the vampire's lips, his eyes wrenching shut. He knew from experience that this wasn't going to be fun at all.

T.B.C.

A.N. Please don't kill me. I know that I haven't updated in six months, and I truly apologize. I'm employed now, and it's a job that takes up a lot of time. That and I had some family drama to deal with, which still hasn't been resolved, but I'm getting over it. Then after all the stress, I couldn't write, as my mind had gone blank. Even though I have this all mapped out to some extent, the words to bring it all together weren't coming to me. I had started writing other fics to get the ideas flowing, and luckily enough, inspiration struck me for this particular fic. My others. . . I can only hope it happens soon.

I apologize again, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Please tell me what you think, I'd deeply appreciate it. I must know if I'm still on point, or if I'm trailing away from the writing syle that I had originally began writing this fic with. I give you permission to sock me for the rediculously long wait, and I hope to hear from you guys, as well as hope to have the next chapter up and running soon.

Thank you for your patience and I hope you'll stick around for the next chapter.

C-Chan2 a.k.a. Neptunesdemon

(1) How I have missed you, my love.

(2) I love you, my little death.

(3) I made this up, I have no idea what happens. I'm sorry to any Wiccans, please don't kill me.

Until next time.


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights or claims to Gundam Wing or any of its characters. Nor do I make any money off of this. I write only because I enjoy it and I hope to entertain others as well.

Warning: All previous warnings still hold true.

Author's Note: I know, you should stone me, but it's complicated to try and give you excuses. I just hope you can forgive me.

--

Wufei couldn't help the scream that erupted from his mouth as Trowa's fangs buried into his wrist. They pierced deep enough that they scraped against the bone, and he whimpered as the vampire began to draw his life's sustenance from the now gaping wound.

He only grit his teeth and bared it the rest of the way, knowing that it was to help him. Trowa was going to need something until Dorothy came back, and hopefully with Quatre in tow.

"Ah!"

His small shout of pain was due to the fact that Trowa's teeth had finally dislodged from his flesh, leaving behind a throbbing sensation. He looked down and swooned, nearly falling over in a faint at the sight of his blood gushing out onto the filth-ridden floor.

He seriously thought that he was going to bleed to death, but Trowa grabbed his wrist in a tight grip, the vampire slowly sitting up. The young Asian looked up, his black eyes connecting with green, and he wondered what was going to happen next.

Trowa tried to focus on the young human in front of him, though his vision was hazy, thanks to the damage his body had just been put through. He was thankful that Wufei had been thoughtful enough to feed him, but now he had hurt the boy more than intended. Not that he intended to hurt Wufei to begin with, but there was no gentle way to feed from a mortal.

"Wufei, no more." He merely announced, looking down to the bleeding wrist.

He winced as he realized just how badly he had maimed the boy's arm, and he bit his tongue before bending over to bring himself closer to it again.

Wufei jerked back, trying to pull his wrist free. There was no way he could let the Nightwalker take more. Besides, the banged-creature had said it himself; no more.

"Trowa." He called out, ready to beg and plead, his heart hammering.

Trowa merely looked up at him, those green eyes trapping him, and Wufei stilled as his body shuddered. He'd felt this way before, when Duo had met him in his apartment. He was beginning to believe that it was just a skill every vampire possessed.

With the sloe-eyed teen temporarily subdued, Trowa pulled the wounded wrist to his lips, letting a bloody tongue run over the open gash. He heard Wufei hiss, the pain jarring him free of the trance he had been held in, and Trowa had to tighten his grip as Wufei tried to pull his arm free once again.

"Trowa, wait." Wufei pleaded, bracing himself for the pain of teeth piercing his skin again.

It never came, and he watched as Trowa merely drew his tongue across the wound as gently as possible. His eyes widened as said wound began to close, healing slowly until there was no proof that it had been open, save the blood that stained his skin. That was easily licked away, and the young man couldn't help but shudder at the feel of that tongue against him.

Just as Duo's had been, it was hot compared to the icy feel of Trowa's hand. Wufei froze as those jade eyes looked to him again, and he had the odd urge to fall into Trowa's arms. He didn't understand why he was suddenly attracted to every damn person, vampire, and demon. He'd use the excuse that vampires were masters at seduction, with demons holding their on in that category. His attraction to Detective Marquise was his own doing, but still, he'd add it to the list.

"I'm still weak."

Trowa's voice had him drawing from his thoughts, and Wufei found the vampire falling into his arms instead. He tried his best to hold Trowa up, as the vampire was still bigger than him, even if they were both seated on the floor.

"Must hide before sunrise." Trowa murmured, his eyes falling shut, "Must. . . rest."

Wufei felt as much as saw the moment Trowa fell into unconsciousness. This couldn't be good. Even after feeding on him, Trowa was still weak and that meant he was vulnerable. He had a feeling that Dorothy wouldn't come back fast enough. He couldn't wait.

Struggling just a bit, Wufei stood from the floor, before he was dragging Trowa to a wall. There he propped the Nightwalker up, so that Trowa was leaning back against it, his head hanging forward. It didn't look very comfortable, but Wufei felt that Trowa looked too much like a dead body when lying on the ground. It made him squeamish to think that Trowa just may well become such if he didn't act fast.

"Okay." He said to himself, stepping back from the auburn-haired vampire, "I guess I'll be going hunting after all."

--

Zechs kicked open another door, gun aimed and ready to shoot, but was met with yet another empty room. He had searched nearly every inch of this floor, and quite frankly, he was beginning to doubt his sanity.

Had he actually seen anyone?

"There's no way I can forget a man like Duo Maxwell." He muttered to himself, putting his gun away for the moment, "It was definitely him."

With one last quick search of the area, he was moving on to the stairwell, and just as he began climbing, he heard the unmistakable sound of movement. He froze, blue eyes looking up ahead in the cone of light provided by his flashlight and he waited.

It sounded as if someone was coming down and he was sure he didn't want to be caught. Heading down again, he moved as quick as his injury allowed him, ducking around a corner and shutting of his flashlight for the moment. It was only dark for a short while, before his eyes adjusted, and it was just in time.

The figure wasn't tall, or as tall as he had expected, and he tried to remember for the moment if Duo Maxwell did indeed have height on him. He brushed it off and readied his gun, slowly slinking out and was then quietly following after his target.

The person actually gasped as Zechs pressed the barrel of the gun to the back of the person's head, and the officer was satisfied to see that he automatically froze and didn't try to flee.

"Freeze, don't move!" He commanded, though he knew the man wasn't going anywhere. It was just habit by now. "Slowly lift your hands and put them behind you head. When I give the signal, you turn around just as slow, you got me?"

The bobbing head was his confirmation and then his orders were followed. It was obvious that whoever this guy was, they weren't looking for trouble.

"Turn around, but keep your hands up."

That was followed as well, and when then outline of the person's face could be seen, Zechs turned on his flashlight and tried to direct the beam of light as best as he could with a broken arm. His eyes widened as he instantly recognized ebony eyes, and he had no idea how to react to meeting the younger man here.

"Wufei?"

"Zechs?" The boy's voice was as equally confused as his was.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Zechs questioned, moving closer and putting the safety on his gun before tucking it away in its halter.

Wufei was sighing in relief at the cop's presence and before he could stop himself, he was rushing forward, his arms clinging around the blond's shoulders.

"Thank the gods you're here." He sighed, not even noticing Zechs' grunt of pain, or how the man stiffened in his hold.

He was pulling away soon enough and grabbing the hand not hanging in a sling to try and guide him back up the stairs.

"Wufei, what's going on?"

"Come on." Was all the teen said to urge him, wanting him to follow, "We have to hurry."

"What the hell's going on, Wufei?" Zechs said, pulling free and causing the sloe-eyed boy to look back at him, "I want some answers. I thought you were taken as a hostage? How the hell did you escape?"

"I can't waste time right now, Zechs." Wufei tried to appease him with a pleading voice, "I really need your help. A friend of mine is in trouble."

Trouble? What kind of trouble?

"Wounded?"

"Yes." Came Wufei's confirmation, and then Zechs was reaching to his hips for his radio.

He came up empty handed, as he realized he had left it behind at the precinct, since he had been put on leave. He reached for his cellular phone instead, flipping it open and dialing the well known number.

"I'll call for an ambulance then."

"No!"

He was shocked when Wufei closed then phone, curling his hand about his own and locking wide, ebony eyes with his.

"No, no one else can know." He told Zechs, the officer frowning, "They can't help him, only we can."

"Wufei, if your friend is hurt, he's going to need medical attention, " Zechs tried to reason with him, "I only need first aid."

"Please, just help me!" Wufei's voice was taking on that tone again, the one that he remembered from his dream the other night. It sent an icy chill down his spine, and he didn't want to know what it meant.

"Where is he?" He said tucking his phone back in his pocket.

Wufei gave him a grateful smile before their fingers were interlacing, Zechs trying his best to ignore the small jolt of pleasure felt at that, before leading him up the flight of stairs to wherever this injured person was.

"Thank you." The Chinese teen called back, his face holding a tint of a blush that the older gentleman would never see in the semi-dark, "This means a lot to me."

Oddly enough, the urge to say 'you mean a lot to me' in return took him, but he held it off. He tried to send the message instead through tightening the grip on Wufei's slender hand a bit.

"Come on." Wufei was saying after another two flights, "It's not too far from here."

--

Quatre sat quietly as he watched Kendra slowly pace back and forth, her red hair even more of a frizzled mess than it usually was. She was busy toying with the pentagram that was hanging from her neck, her teeth worrying her lip until it was red and chapped. Every now and then she would lick her lips to moisten them, but would began biting at her bottom lip again.

Quatre knew that she was nervous. She was nervous about what they were facing, about what could possibly happen, and she was also nervous about the current situation that was going on. Sally had appointed her as the unofficial watchwoman with the head witch gone.

He didn't appreciate being a prisoner, and he knew that at this moment his dear friend could be in horrible danger. He had to know what had gone on and if Wufei was alright. He hadn't gotten a call from the younger man and he wondered if he had even been allowed one.

He needed to get out and he had to do so soon. He had formulated his plan long before Kendra had arrived, and he was happy that she was the one sent. He was not one to boast, but when it came to witchcraft, Quatre could best the female apprentice without even trying. This was obviously a sorry attempt on Sally's part.

His finger traced the symbol over and over on the table top, careful to keep his eyes focused on Kendra and making sure she didn't realize what he was doing. The binding spell that he was currently working on his fellow witch had to go unnoticed for as long as he was able. If he was discovered, then there was a chance that it wouldn't hold her.

He took a chance to glance at the shimmering barrier that held tight over the doorway, and he was happy to sense that it was weakening. He had been siphoning off the energy that was holding the spell together, and transferring it to the binding that he was steadily building up. He didn't deserve to be locked up in here, since it was _his_ friend that was the center piece to all of this.

His mind strayed to the ebony-locked boy, this Mortal Gate. He would have never known had none of the events that passed in these last few days happened. He would have went on with his life, studying to maybe one day take Sally's place, and even finally taking the final step and letting Wufei know how he felt. Now there was the threat that he would never get the chance, not if Wufei fell victim to this demon that wanted back in to this plane of existence.

He didn't even want think of his name, knowing that there was a chance that even that could give the monster an extra ounce of strength. He was distracted by the ringing of the phone on Sally's desk, and he watched as Kendra had jumped with a shout, her nerves obviously on end.

She stormed over and lifted the receiver, taking a deep breath before answering as calmly as she could.

"Hello?" She answered, and then she was quiet for a bit as the other person on the line responded. Green eyes looked to Quatre in confusion, before the red-head was frowning, "Yes, he's still with me."

He had to stop tracing the symbol, as he watched Kendra begin shaking, her green eyes widened in a frightened state that was too much to understand.

"Don't let him through!" She ordered, her voice trembling. "I'll strengthen the barrier further!"

She slammed the phone down and started to storm over to the door, not realizing that Quatre was staring at her at all.

"Kendra, what is it?" He had to ask her, not sure what could have gotten the witch so scared.

"Stay there!"

He was shocked at the force the woman had given that command, and he actually moved back into his chair some. What was out there that the rest of the coven was so worried about and had the need to send warnings ahead of time.

The screams coming from outside the hallway had Kendra stumbling and Quatre turning wide, sea-colored eyes to the door. His heart began to thunder as a familiar aura touched his senses, and he would have smiled if it weren't for the disbelief that was filling him at this moment.

He couldn't have come back. That could warrant, to some small extent, a breech of contract and the last thing the world needed was this particular agreement broken. He would never attempt something so stupid, would he?

He received his answer as more screams followed and two witches, the most recent recruits came rushing for the room, eyes wide and full of fear.

"The Nightwalker's back!" The female screamed, trying to push against the force field that spell had created. "Please, let us in!"

The boy could only make pleading noises and then they both were looking behind them as suddenly a figure seemed to materialize out of thin air.

"Heero, don't!" Quatre was screaming out as the vampire took hold of each young witch with a hand on each throat.

Blood-red eyes looked to where Quatre stood watching in disbelief, before he was dropping the two witches who scrambled away screaming in fear. He roared in rage as he tried to move into the room and the flesh that made contact with the barrier burned as he was stopped.

"Remove the charm!" He was ordering, his eyes now centered on the witch that accompanied Quatre.

"You can't have him!" Kendra answered boldly, her demeanor a large contrast to the scared individual it had been earlier. "You won't have him, Nightwalker! He's ours!"

"No!" Heero bellowed, fangs gleaming and stained with traces of blood. It would seem that he had fed on some of the witches here. He had attacked witches and that meant that he was no longer under the protection of the agreement, "He is mine, Spellbinder!"

Quatre felt the dark spell before Kendra could even began chanting the words, and he panicked at the thought of what would happen.

"Do you worst!" Heero taunted, obviously too stupid in his rage to know that this was no time to test a spell meant to do harm.

"I call upon the strength of the god and goddess!" Kendra started, her pentagram removed and held up so that it began to glow in her hand. "Give me the power I seek!"

"No, Kendra stop!"

Quatre sent his bending spell with quick, uttered words not a moment too soon and he watched as Kendra's body locked, the woman's voice leaving in a strangled gasp of surprise before she was dropping to the floor.

Panting heavily, Quatre sank to his knees with wide-eyes unable to turn away from his fellow witch, who he had just attacked in order to stop her from blatantly killing a Nightwalker. A Nightwalker who had broken the accord that had held fast for centuries, and was respected by either side equally.

In that sense, he had betrayed his own kind and that had a punishment almost equal to Heero's. Said vampire was busy staring in at him, his eyes looking back and forth between the two witches in the room, his breath as hard as Quatre's.

"Spellbinder."

Quatre looked up at the blue-eyed vampire, his skin prickling with goosebumps at the sight Heero was. Pale flesh peeked through the open shirt that he was dressed in, teeth gleaming, eyes burning and his gaze fixed on Quatre with an intensity that made the witch's heart flutter. What was happening to him?

"Let me in, Spellbinder." Heero coaxed him, his voice a smooth and seducing, obviously meant to convince the blond to do his bidding, "Come be mine, Quatre."

"I can't." He murmured, suddenly lightheaded and breathless. Heero couldn't be the cause of it could he, "Sally's spell."

Heero hissed, before he was moving forward, growling in anger as the spell sparked at his contact with it. He would get to his mortal one way or another. He could give a damn what this proved to his master, he wanted the blond, he needed him, yearned for him. To have that flesh, to taste that blood, it made his own blood boil and his hunger tear at his stomach. He needed the man now!

With a determined roar, he was pushing against the spell with his bear hands, ignoring the searing pain of his flesh burning as he forced the spell to weaken with each passing moment. Quatre watched from the other side, getting to his feet and backing away as the barrier was pushed to its limits. The vampire had said it, had finally admitted what Quatre had suspected. He was coming for him. He couldn't have him.

With a final crackle of energy that sounded mysteriously enough like lightening, the spell broke and shattered, dissipating and leaving the doorway open again. Panting and moaning in pain, Heero entered, his eyes focused solely on the witch he had been enchanted by since he had first laid eyes on him.

Quatre could only stumble backwards, gasping as Heero finally rushed forward and grabbed him, red eyes glaring down at him. The smell of burning flesh was overwhelming, and as the vampire moved closer, he tried to distract him.

"You're hurt." He pointed out, Heero luckily stopping, "Let me heal you, please."

"No." Heero hissed, Quatre gasping as his hair was grabbed and his neck arched back, "You will feed me."

He would have screamed as fangs pierced his neck, but it turned into a strangled moan as the initial pain melted into an addictive warmth that spread over him. Blue-green eyes glazed over as Quatre's panting went from frightened to pleasured, and he moaned again as Heero pulled him closer with a growl, pulling on the rushing blood faster and with greedy haste.

"Heero, please." He was begging, but he wasn't sure what for. His brain was telling him that he wanted this to stop or he cold die, but his body was writhing now, sensitive to every little movement against it, "Please."

"That's quite enough!"

Quatre was crying out in pain as Heero's teeth ripped away from him, and he fell to the floor, sprawled out as he landed in a limp heap. His eyes started tearing as reality set in, the drug haze that had been set over him washing away with Heero no longer focused on him.

He tried his best to look to see who had come to his rescue, and he was shocked to find Dorothy now restraining a struggling Heero, her fangs buried in his neck from behind. Her smaller frame seemed to be doing quite a good job of holding him back, and Quatre could only feel grateful for her sudden appearance.

Heero was weakening, cursing in languages that he had to have learned over the years of his life, trying his best to throw the female vampire from him. It was no use, and soon he was falling to his knees, red eyes dulling to blue again as his body weakened. After a few more moments of being fed on, Heero slumped forward as Dorothy let him go, unable to move and looking to Quatre as brittle as a dried leaf. He had been subdued, that was all that mattered, even though the blond was worried that he was now hurt.

Dorothy was panting deeply, as she flung her head back to lick the blood from her lips. It was running down her chin, past her throat and into the cleavage of her breasts, but she didn't seem to mind. Her body trembled as she savored every last drop, a moan escaping her lips before she was finally settling down. Slowly, she lowered her head and turned her now blood-red gaze to the Spellbinder sprawled out in front of her.

"Spellbinder, you are not worth the trouble." She began, voice sultry and low as if she had just finished having mind blowing sex. For all Quatre knew, what she had gone through had probably been the equivalent, "Had I not needed your help, I would kill you for the disruption of peace you have brought to my family! My fledging has gone through a measure he can not reverse for you! You'll will pay him in full when the time comes, or you shall suffer under my hand."

Quatre could say or do nothing, only stare at her and then watch as Heero began to slowly move, again. Dorothy went to him to help him up, murmuring apologies and trying her best to comfort him. The younger vampire only pushed her away, before he was heading for the corner of the room, where he stood with his arms wrapped about himself, shoulders haunched in what had to be shame.

The female vampire looked to him again, before she was walking over and biting into her index finger. As she crouched beside him, she let her finger running over Quatre's neck, and it was only when she touched him did he realize that he was still bleeding. He could feel the blood running down his neck, probably staining Sally's wooden floor. He realized then that Heero could have killed him, he could have died, and the thought had him shaking, unable to fathom any thoughts of it anymore.

"Be calm, Spellbinder!" Dorothy ordered him, her eyes glaring down at him. "You are too weak to let yourself panic, your heart would be unable to handle it, and I need you alive."

He tried to calm himself as best as he could, and was shocked to see that he was able to nod at her to show that he understood.

"Very good." Dorothy said, before she was standing straight again, her face scowling in Heero's direction. "You will return back home and you will remain there until I have returned. I will take the Spellbinder to Trowa when the morning comes. Hopefully, you have not caused so large a commotion that we are unable to hide."

Heero nodded without turning to look at them, and Dorthy sighed before crouching again to pull Quatre into her arms. He was a bit embarrassed to find that she lifted him up as if he weighed nothing at all, holding him as if he were a child, and he just brushed it off as vampiric strength.

"Until this evening." The female Nightwalker said in parting, and then she and Quatre were gone.

That left Heero alone where he stood in his corner, ashamed terribly of what he had allowed himself to do. Though he had attacked and even fed on the witches here, he knew that none were dead. Still, he realized that this was a breach in the contact that was held with the Spellbinder's and he would be sought after for punishment. It was best that he lay low for a while.

Now hungry, being that Dorothy had stolen his strength to stop him from making a stupid mistake, he decided that he would need to feed. His hunt would be quick, as he could sense the dawn approaching and then he would need to head back to the house. With a last look around at the state he had brought the witches' coven to, he left in a shadow, not wanting to face the results of his actions any longer.

--

He had been given the entire story as he had finally come to where Wufei's friend lay in wait, having asked the boy for an explanation. At first, Wufei had not wanted to tell him, but he had refused to help him unless his questions was answered.

The teenager had no choice but to give in, and Zechs now stood in disbelief and doubt as he stared down at the corpse-like body that sat propped up against the wall. He had been told that the young man was a vampire, who had been helping Wufei as the boy had suddenly become the target for a vampire.

Wufei had refused to say who, the officer already knew, and Zechs pushed no further. Though, he did ask what connection the young Asian had with Duo Maxwell.

"I think he wants me for something." Was all he had received in answer, Wufei staring up at him with endless depths of liquid onyx, "I think he wants me for something terrible. I'm scared."

He had ended up pulling the teenager into a hug then, hoping to calm some of the fear that had been settling between them both, but Wufei was more determined on helping his friend. This vampire, that had been hurt by none other than the now wanted Duo Maxwell.

Zechs looked over the banged man once again, before he was looking to Wufei, who seemed about ready to break. After this he would be taking the boy home and hopefully have him settled down and into bed.

His mind conjured up images of bronze skin offset with white sheets, covered in a sheen of sweat and muscles quivering in pleasure and he had to stop himself from taking the fantasy further. He was not going to take advantage of Wufei at such a vulnerable moment, no matter how enticing it seemed.

"How do I help your friend?" He was asking in an attempt to distract his mind.

Wufei took hold of him by his wrist and dragged him closer to the supposedly undead man, before he was turning Zechs' wrist so that he could look down at the veins running under the skin.

"You'll have to cut here." The ebony-haired teen said, with his thumb brushing over the skin of Zechs' inner wrist, "And he'll do the rest."

There was no way that he was going to cut himself so that some sicko could pretend to be a vampire. There was no way that those things existed.

Then he was thinking back to just a few hours before, where he watched something inhuman and otherworldly impale his friend's chest with just his bare hand. He had seen the results of an attack on a human that left him with very little of his neck left, and now he was doubting the existence of vampires? He realized that after everything he had seen over these past few days, he could afford to believe that this was a vampire in front of him. And he was about to become a midnight snack.

"You do realize that you owe me after this?" Zechs was asking the younger man, who eagerly nodded and watched as the cop pulled out a pocket knife.

With practiced ease he drew up the knife and then was taking a deep breath as he prepared himself to do the unthinkable. When he signed up for the force, the last thing he had been expecting to do was deal with shit that he only watched on prime time TV. And now, here he was, cutting into his wrist as if he had an agenda of suicide.

He grit his teeth as he dragged the blade over his flesh and looked to Wufei for the next step that he was supposed to take. The dark-haired boy only looked back at him, not saying or doing a thing, as if Zechs was supposed to figure it out.

"Wufei-"

He was cut short as a steel grip wrapped about his wrist, almost certainly bruising the flesh. He couldn't help but look to where the man that had been half-dead against the wall was now beside him, sharp green eyes unfocused and fangs gleaming white in the semi-darkness.

Zechs was frozen still as his heart began to race and his muscles jumped to flee, his body obviously well aware that it was in the presence of a hunter, but he couldn't move. A scream was stuck in his throat as he feebly attempted to break free, watching in horror as he was dragged closer.

As his wrist was drawn closer to the gaping mouth, Zechs finally found his voice and his scream broke free just as fangs buried into the skin of his wrist. The burst of pain had him pulling away frantically and his screaming grew hysteric, even though he knew that this was exactly what Wufei said would happen. He was being fed on, but the primitive and human part of his brain was scared shitless, and he wanted nothing more but to flee.

His screaming was cut short by an ice-cold hand pressing against his mouth, and he kept stock still as lips hovered over his ear to whisper to him.

"Don't scream." Came the sensual voice, Zechs finding that he was relaxing by the sound of it, "I will make so it doesn't hurt."

He barely had a moment to contemplate what was said, before he was arching into the hard body pressed against him. The brief flash of pain was easily drowned out by the following feeling of addictive pleasure and his moan was muffled by the hand still pressed against his mouth. It was released soon enough to draw him closer and Zechs felt his eyes slipping closed and his world getting dark. He had to be dying and he cursed himself for being so trusting. That's what he got for falling for the cute, teary-eyed pretty boy with the kissable pouting lips. Wufei had led him right to his doom, and he had the gall to stand and watch him die.

"Trowa, please that's enough!"

Wufei's panicked voice had the vampire pulling away with a groan, the sound as if he had been forced away from the sweetest nectar he had ever sampled. Zechs supposed that it was a close equivalent and then his mind was melting as lips placed kisses along the column of his neck, before a warm tongue swiped over the open wound.

"Thank you." That voice was whispering again, and Zechs merely moaned as his body quivered in desire, "When I am able, I shall repay you. For now, I must sleep. Have you somewhere we can go? Quickly, the sun is soon to rise."

"My place." Zechs was gasping out, wanting to kick himself for offering his home so quickly. God, it made it seem as if he was inviting the undead creature for a one night stand, "I have a spare room. Dark curtains. You'll be safe enough."

"Yes, take me there."

He was finally released and he stumbled a bit to catch his bearings, trying to shake loose the dazed state his mind was left in. He nearly stumbled and was, luckily enough, caught by Wufei. The younger man was gently thanking him and asking him if he was alright, but he ignored him for the moment so that he could study the man that had just feasted on his life.

Whoever this man was, he was a sight to behold, with features that made Zechs jealous and eyes that were made to ensnare prey. Contrary to what he had looked like before, he was no corpse and now he stood tall and with some life to him, though he was still as pale as if he hadn't just feasted on Zechs' blood.

"Shall we go?" The gentleman asked, and Zechs could only roll his eyes.

Pushing off of Wufei, he steadied himself on his feet, trying his best to show that he didn't need the help. He wasn't feeling woozy anymore, so he thought it safe to move around again.

"Yes, we shall." He finally said in answer to the vampire, who seemed to weaken as fast as he regained his strength. Zechs caught him before he toppled, sighing as he dragged one of the creature's arms over his shoulder to help him support him better, "Come on, my car's parked right outside."

He began to lead them out of the abandoned building, the vampire very nearly dead weight as he dragged him and Wufei timidly falling in step behind him. He tried his best to hide just how weak he himself was or how uncomfortable he felt with the same thing that had eaten from him now hanging off of his shoulder.

He tried to ignore it, but his gut was telling him that this was only a glimpse of what was really going on, and he was in no rush to find out.

--

Relena slowly paced the lengths of the hall, having been the only one left behind out of the other occupants and visitors of the house. Of course, there was Wesley, but the old man had retired for the rest of the night. She had tried to hold his company so as to learn of this "little devil" her mistress and Trowa had run off after, but the old man knew nothing.

So she had left him alone, after a wonderful chat and tea, which she had learned her lesson not to drink. Now she was wandering the halls of the small manor, her vampiric eyes taking in every extra detail. Even after all of these years, she was still amazed at the things she could see that she never had seen before. The smells, the sounds, the way things felt. It was still as amazing as it had been the first time she had lived night as a vampire.

Her hands trailed over the smooth, polished wood surface of a decorative side table and she sighed at the texture and feel of the wood. The simplest pleasures could be found in anything in this form, she realized.

Her body tensed as she sensed an aura that was all too familiar, and her sharp blue eyes looked down the length of the hall to the glass-paned doors that led out into the gardens. She felt more than saw when he arrived there and slowly she made her way there, her nostrils flaring at the scent of blood. Someone had gone hunting and had quite a time with it at that,

She stepped outside to a dim garden, a soft glow from the moon and starlight that put everything in clarity for her. Any human would see nothing but shapes and dark shadow, but she saw the details, and it was that that enabled her to catch sight of the huddled shape at the base of a gurgling fountain.

She had never seen Heero anything but headstrong and a force that drew her attention, but now she found him a crumpled mass and close to breaking. And he was weak, so very weak.

She didn't hesitate to move closer, and when she was standing over him, she watched him closely with an impassive face. She had learned it from none other than her sire; so many times he had greeted her with such a face.

"Get away from me." The words were barely a whisper, and Relena merely cocked her head, eyes still staring down at her sire.

He was covered in blood, but she could tell he was weakened; perhaps he had been attacked? There was a chance that he was hurt, and if he was, then he must need to feed.

"Where is your witch?"

She watched him flinch and curl up more into himself, and she nearly smiled. He had been scorned. How sweet it was to watch him suffer, watch him hurt as she had.

"Is that not who you went after?" She questioned him, her arms crossing as her head smoothly lolled to the other side. "Did he refuse you?"

The blue eyes glared up at her then, but Relena wasn't afraid of him. She never had been, though there were times she had been wary and known he was stronger than her. He still was, but weakened here at this moment, she held the upper hand.

"How does it feel, father?" She asked him, slowly kneeling until she was beside him. "How does it feel to be turned away by the one you love? The one you yearn for, long for, the one who you can not do without?"

Heero snarled at her then, and Relena merely smiled, reaching a hand out to wipe away a smear of blood from Heero's lip, now pulled back over his fangs. He could have chosen that moment to attack her, but he did nothing more than hiss, shuffling away from her until his back was pressed against the fountain, the stone as cold as himself.

"Please tell me, Heero." Relena went on, standing again and closing the distance between them. "How does it feel to be abandoned by the one you love!"

Her screaming stunned even herself, as she hadn't known that she had been so angry. But it hurt, it hurt to watch him chase after another, to leave her behind after having seduced her into loving him, talked her into turning so that she could be with him forever, and then pushed her aside. He had used her and then left her when he no longer wanted her, and she had still loved him. She would always love him, and that was what hurt the most.

"Relena-"

"Be quiet." She snapped, not wanting to hear whatever he planned to tell her. "What could you possibly tell me now, after having left me behind for nearly two hundred years?"

It was obvious that Heero could think of nothing, as silence reigned over the garden, save the trickling of the fountain and occasional chirp of a cricket. Relena wasn't surprised. She hadn't really expected him to say anything in answer to that. So she merely gave a single nod, before she was turning on her heels and heading back inside.

"You'd better hurry in." She called back over her shoulder, though she didn't turn to look back at him. "Sunrise will be here soon, and I wouldn't want to explain to Trowa why his dear little fledgling perished beneath its blaze. Far be it from me to be too petty to assist you. Tomorrow evening, you and I shall hunt, but for now, do not dare show your face before me."

And then she was gone, slamming the doors shut behind her and leaving Heero outside to the first touches of early damn. He knew better than to stay out here for much longer, though he probably had a good hour or so before actual sunlight came, but he was not one to test fate. And it was for that same reason that he stayed behind, at least until Relena was no longer in the hall. He hadn't thought to see such anger and hurt, such ferocity, come from the usually docile woman. It had scared him, and he knew she would go through with the threat she hadn't worded if he had crossed paths with her. So for now, it was safer to stay out here and when evening came, he would risk being burned by the fire of her anger.

T.B.C.

This seemed rush, but I got the spark and I didn't want to lose it after. . . oh. . . two years? I greatly apologize and I hope people still read this or that new readers get interested. I'm trying to revive my fics, and it's harder than I thought. Leave reviews, threats, curses upon my household, and even criticism. I welcome it all and I hope to not have another two year gap. -_-


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